LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Members: Employment

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Leader of the House if he will bring forward proposals in respect of the regulation of hon. Members and second jobs.

Andrew Lansley: The Government have no plans to bring forward such proposals. The Independent Committee on Standards in Public Life have previously recommended that MPs should remain free to have paid employment unrelated to their role as MPs, and that this is desirable in performing their role (1(st) Report Committee on Standards in Public Life)
	It is important that there is transparency about what MPs do, who pays them and for what. The House changed its rules before the last election to ensure that this detail is shown in the Register of Members' Financial Interests. MPs are here to work for their constituents and that should remain the principal purpose of all MPs elected to this place.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Cafes: Pedestrian Areas

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local authorities in the UK have street pavement café regulation or licensing schemes in place.

Brandon Lewis: My Department does not hold this information.

Charities Act 2006

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what reports his Department has laid before each House of Parliament pursuant to section 70(9) of the Charities Act 2006 in 2012-13.

Stephen Williams: Information on payments made to charities in 2012-13 are set out in paragraphs 7.29 to 7.31 of the Department's 2012-13 Annual Report and Accounts. These were laid in Parliament on 27 June 2013.
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/245153/DCLG_2012-13_combined_Annual_Report_and_Accounts_130923.pdf

Energy

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what costs were incurred by his Department's estate in respect of (a) gas and (b) electricity supply in the 2012-13 financial year.

Brandon Lewis: holding answer 28 October 2013
	The information requested is as follows:
	Departmental spending
	The Department's gross spend on gas and electricity is set out in the following table, including figures for historic spend by comparison:
	
		
			 £ 
			  2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Electricity 505,425 424,286 422,803 536,449 493,309 
			 Gas 135,889 71.027 39,138 36,474 88,567 
		
	
	These gross costs include energy used by the Department's sub-tenants, and which is then recharged based on the floor space sub-let by the Department to those tenants.
	The electricity costs increased in 2011-12 due to increased unit cost energy prices and additional consumption largely due to new tenants occupying Eland House. However, these gross figures do not reflect the costs which were recharged back to the tenants, nor the broader income from renting out empty office space. Gas consumption increased in 2012-13 due to the cold winter/spring.
	Energy efficiency
	More broadly, as part of its energy efficiency programme, the DCLG Group (including agencies) has saved £1.3 million from its annual energy bill since 2009-10, with a 41% reduction in its greenhouse gas emissions from travel and energy use.
	I would note that under the last Administration, the Department's main building (Eland House, Victoria) was one of the least energy-efficient buildings in Whitehall, despite it being the lead Department on energy efficiency standards in buildings. In June 2011, the building was awarded a ‘D’ grade display energy certificate, having improved from the equivalent ‘G’ grade in 2006-07.
	The Department has sought to reduce its expenditure through adopting low and no cost energy efficiency measures, estate rationalisation (by using space more efficiently and co-locating with other organisations), and by operating its remaining buildings even more efficiently. Energy efficiency measures have included:
	Reducing out-of-hours energy consumption through stringent time controls on building plant and machinery;
	Switching off services in unoccupied office areas;
	Harmonising heating and cooling strategies to avoid plant working against itself to heat and cool the same space;
	Maximising benefits of intelligent, demand-based building management systems and variable speed drive controls on pumps and motors;
	Adoption of more energy efficient behaviours by building occupiers, e.g. switching lights off unnecessary lighting.
	Using automated meter reading (Smart meters) to monitor and target energy reduction opportunities;
	Introducing more efficient IT equipment such as multi-function devices and thin client computers;
	Replacing lighting at end of life with high efficiency alternatives such as LEDs.
	Better procurement
	The Department procured its gas and electricity from Corona Energy and EDF Energy, respectively, between 2010 and 2012.
	The Department now purchases its energy through Government Procurement Service frameworks which are typically for five year periods, and following extensive market competition and EU wide tender processes. The bulk of central Government energy is aggregated under Government Procurement Service frameworks, which enables the Government Procurement Service Energy Team to actively engage directly with the energy markets to achieve best value and price for the taxpayer.
	The Government Procurement Service Energy Team operates under strict, industry standard risk metrics and management guidelines and regularly matches or beats the annual market average prices. Aggregated this way, central Government is able to utilise its purchasing power to best effect.

Housing: Floods

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of newly built properties were built on flood plains in each year from 2008.

Nicholas Boles: We are very clear in the National Planning Policy Framework that inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding should be avoided. Local authorities should direct development away from areas at highest risk, but where development is necessary, it must be demonstrated that it is safe and will not increase flood risk elsewhere.
	The percentage of newly built properties in areas of high flood risk in England in each year from 2008 to 2010 (the most recent available) is displayed in the following table:
	
		
			  Percentage of new dwellings built within areas of high flood risk 
			 2008 9 
			 2009 11 
			 2010 9

Parking: Pedestrian Areas

Kevin Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent representations he has received from local authorities on pavement parking.

Brandon Lewis: My Department has not received any representations from local authorities on pavement parking.
	The Government recognises that good and affordable parking provision can play an important role in rejuvenating high streets and town centres. We want to make it easier for people to park responsibly, and to encourage the spread of best practice on supporting town centres and we have announced that we intend to bring forward proposals for consultation.

Pedestrian Areas: Safety

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the number of pedestrian injuries as a result of street clutter on footpaths in the last (a) six months, (b) year and (c) five years;
	(2)  what steps he plans to take to reduce the amount of street clutter on footpaths that creates obstacles for blind and partially sighted people.

Robert Goodwill: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Transport.
	Information relating to the number of pedestrian injuries as a result of street clutter is not held centrally.
	The responsibility for the design and upkeep of footways rests with the relevant local authority, as they are best placed to consider how local needs can be effectively met.
	This Department has issued guidance for local authorities about best practice on access to pedestrian and transport infrastructure in “Inclusive Mobility”.
	This contains advice on the provision of 'A' boards and other street furniture such as waste bins, and is available to download at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inclusive-mobility
	The Department has also issued good practice guidance to local authorities on the design of traffic management features in Local Transport Note 1/08 ‘Traffic Management and Streetscape’ which is available to download at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-transport-notes

Property Development: Floods

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will bring forward legislative proposals to include lead flood authorities as statutory consultees in all major planning applications.

Nicholas Boles: The Environment Agency has overall responsibility for managing flood risk in England and is currently a statutory consultee for planning applications in areas at risk of flooding, and for developments on land of 1 hectare or more. We are considering the arrangements for involving lead local flood authorities in the planning application process in the context of finalising the new national planning practice guidance and taking forward the outcome of the Planning Administration Red Tape Challenge.
	Notwithstanding, any interested party can make a representation on a planning application; it is not restricted to statutory consultees.

Social Rented Housing

Mark Spencer: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what grants his Department has made to social housing providers to improve the quality of their stock since May 2010; which such providers have retained those grants; and what the amount was of each such grant.

Kris Hopkins: Since May 2010 DCLG has confirmed allocations of £2.1 billion to social housing providers, to be paid by 2014-15. Of this, £1.6 billion is going to councils as 'decent homes backlog' funding, and £500 million to private registered providers as gap funding. Gap funding is paid to private registered providers when the expenditure required to bring the homes to the Decent Homes Standard is greater than the rental income. DCLG provides the funds to bridge that gap.
	Details of council and private registered provider recipients respectively, together with the amounts to be paid between 2011 and 2015 to these bodies, and the five private finance initiative contracts that have been signed by councils since May 2010, have been placed in the Library of the House.

Swimming: Safety

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department is taking to prevent unsafe swimming in disused quarries.

Nicholas Boles: Unsupervised entry into active or disused quarries leaves people vulnerable to the potential hazards that exist. Site operators of quarries have a general duty to ensure the safety of quarry excavations and tips; and that once abandoned the quarry is left in a safe condition. Failure to do so could lead to it being declared an environmental nuisance over which local authorities have enforcement powers under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. In addition, mineral planning authorities have a range of enforcement powers to ensure that quarries are restored to an acceptable standard. On cessation of working and following restoration, responsibility reverts back to the landowner.
	The minerals industry is working hard to highlight the dangers of entering quarries unsupervised, for example through the Minerals Product Association's "Stay Safe" campaign working in conjunction with local communities and teachers.

TRANSPORT

Charities Act 2006

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what reports his Department has laid before each House of Parliament pursuant to section 70(9) of the Charities Act 2006 in 2012-13.

Robert Goodwill: The Department grants funding to Sustrans to deliver two cycling programmes under the Charities Act 2006 (as amended): the Linking Communities and the Cycle Safety programmes. A report for 2012-13 is due to be laid shortly for the Linking Communities programme. A report for the Cycle Safety programme is not due until autumn 2014.

Energy

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what costs were incurred by his Department's estate in respect of (a) gas and (b) electricity supply in the 2012-13 financial year.

Stephen Hammond: The requested information is as follows:
	(a) £1,633,478
	(b) £6,030,535.

High Speed Two

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 22 October 2013, Official Report, column 124W, on High Speed 2, if he will list the 48 people who have been engaged by HS2 Ltd in the last 12 months via personal service companies together with copies of their contracts.

Robert Goodwill: None of the 48 people engaged by HS2 Ltd on personal service contracts were at the equivalent of senior civil service level. In line with normal practice, personal information is not released about those below the senior civil service.

Level Crossings: Bassetlaw

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  which wig wag level crossings in Bassetlaw constituency use 36 watt lamps;
	(2)  how many wig wag level crossings have 36 watt lamps;
	(3)  which wig wag level crossings in Bassetlaw have been identified as having a problem from sunlight glare.

Stephen Hammond: The Department for Transport does not hold the requested information about the railway network. Requests for detailed operational or technical requirements should be made to:
	Network Rail
	Kings Place
	90 York Way
	London
	N1 9 AG

Motorways: Lighting

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has any plans to roll-out LED lighting on Britain's motorway network; and if he will make a statement.

Robert Goodwill: The Highways Agency, which is responsible for road lighting on the English strategic road network, has no specific plans to roll-out LED lighting on its motorways.
	The Highways Agency sets out its road lighting requirements for those sections of motorway that need to be lit in an outcome based specification that neither advocates nor excludes the use of any particular road lighting technology. It is for the Agency's service providers to select the lighting technology that offers best value for money.
	In January of this year, the British Standard for road lighting lowered the lighting level requirements for motorways to those used in most of Western Europe. This makes LEDs a more viable proposition for motorways, consequently, it is predicted LEDs are likely to become the preferred choice in future years for new and replacement motorway lighting schemes.

Parking: Pedestrian Areas

Kevin Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the risk to pedestrians posed by pavement parking.

Robert Goodwill: The Department for Transport has made no specific assessment of these risks.
	In London there is a general ban on parking on the footway. However, in the rest of England there is no such prohibition. However, local authorities outside London have wide-ranging powers to make Traffic Regulation Orders to prohibit pavement parking on designated lengths of highway or over a wide area.

Railways: Yorkshire and the Humber

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions (a) he and (b) officials in his Department have had with rail companies operating in Yorkshire on (i) improving train punctuality, (ii) the frequency of rail services and (iii) local rail infrastructure improvements.

Stephen Hammond: Department officials monitor the overall performance of train operators, includes monthly meetings with their senior management where performance figures are reviewed.
	Department officials are in regular discussions with East Coast, Northern Rail and First TransPennine Express in regard to the frequency of rail services in Yorkshire in the context of the direct awards. Further discussions will take place as the Franchising programme progresses.
	Network Rail chair a series of planning and development meetings on a monthly basis covering infrastructure improvements in Yorkshire and the wider north of England, in which Department officials are involved. Train operators are represented at these meetings.

Severn River Crossing: Tolls

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport at what level the tolls at the Severn Bridge will be set from January 2014.

Robert Goodwill: The tolls on the Severn Crossings are amended each year in accordance with the rules set out in the Severn Bridges Act 1992. Every year the tolls are calculated from the September Retail Prices Index figure and then rounded to the nearest 10p. The toll levels from 1 January 2014 will be:
	Category 1: Cars and motor caravans—£6.40 (£6.20 in 2012)
	Category 2: Small goods vehicles and small buses—£12.80 (£12.40 in 2012)
	Category 3: Heavy goods vehicles and buses—£19.20 (£18.60 in 2012)
	The tolls levels will be confirmed in an Order made by the Secretary of State in December.

Trans-European Networks

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what recent communications his Department has had with the European Commission regarding the TEN-T core and comprehensive projects; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effect of the omission of Wales from the routing of the TEN-T corridor route through the UK to Ireland; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what communications his Department has had with the European Commission regarding the routing of the TEN-T corridor through the UK to Ireland; when such communications were received; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what communication his Department had with the Welsh Government on his negotiating position prior to formal discussions with the European Commission on the TEN-T infrastructure projects at the Transport Council in Brussels on 22 March 2012; and if he will publish (a) such communications and (b) the Government's negotiating position on this matter.

Robert Goodwill: The Department for Transport has had, and continues to have, regular communications with the European Commission and with the devolved Administrations on these matters.
	In October 2011 the European Commission published a set of draft regulations for TEN-T and an accompanying Financial Instrument known as the "Connecting Europe Facility" (CEF). Prior to this, and throughout the subsequent negotiations, my Department worked closely with the devolved Administrations to ensure that the UK had a co-ordinated position and to ensure that the outcome aligned as far as possible with the UK's negotiating objectives. Our main objectives included:
	Pressing for indicative targets rather than binding deadlines;
	Ensuring that member states rather than the European Commission remained responsible for transport planning and investment decisions on their national networks;
	Ensuring that no additional financial or administrative burdens should be placed on member states or private sector transport operators; and
	Pressing for Core Corridors and Corridor Coordinators to be optional rather than mandatory, focused on contentious cross-border areas/projects, and with simplified governance and management proposals.
	The CEF contains an indicative list of projects, which is not legally binding. Projects on this list will only receive TEN-T funding if they meet the relevant criteria and project time scales set by the Commission, and if they demonstrate added value to the EU. This will remain a competitive process.
	The development of the TEN-T Core Network is seen as the priority by the Commission. The Corridor is a tool to help implement the development of the Core Network, particularly for co-ordinating cross-border projects. The Department has therefore made no assessment of the routing of the Corridor as the priority is the Core Network.

WALES

Charities Act 2006

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what reports his Department has laid before each House of Parliament pursuant to section 70(9) of the Charities Act 2006 in 2012-13.

Stephen Crabb: The Wales Office has not laid any reports in 2012-2013 under section 70(9) of the Charities Act 2006.

Energy

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what costs were incurred by his Department's estate in respect of (a) gas and (b) electricity supply in the 2012-13 financial year.

Stephen Crabb: The Wales Office incurred costs of £12,600 for electricity in 2012-13. The Department does not have a direct contract for gas supply.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Army Reserve

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions she has had with the Ministry of Defence about the recruitment of army reservists in Northern Ireland.

Theresa Villiers: No meetings have taken place between Ministers in the Northern Ireland Office and the Ministry of Defence on this issue.

Charities Act 2006

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what reports her Department has laid before each House of Parliament pursuant to section 70(9) of the Charities Act 2006 in 2012-13.

Theresa Villiers: None. Section 70(9) of the Charities Act 2006 does not extend to Northern Ireland.

Energy

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what costs were incurred by her Department's estate in respect of (a) gas and (b) electricity supply in the 2012-13 financial year.

Theresa Villiers: My Department incurred the following costs in relation to gas and electricity supply in the 2012-13 financial year:
	
		
			  £ 
			 (a) Gas 62,776 
			 (b) Electricity 226,830

Parades Commission

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many meetings she has had with (a) the Parades Commission and (b) individual members of the Parades Commission in 2013 to date.

Theresa Villiers: I have met the full Parades Commission on one occasion and met individual members of the Commission on six occasions.

Police Service of Northern Ireland

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent representations she has received from (a) the Chief Constable of Police Service of Northern Ireland, (b) the Police Federation and (c) the NI Policing Board on an increase in the number of Police Service of Northern Ireland officers.

Theresa Villiers: I hold regular meetings with the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland and we speak frequently by telephone. In addition I have also met the Police Federation of Northern Ireland. We discuss a range of subjects including the number of Police Service of Northern Ireland officers. I have had no meetings or correspondence with the NI Policing Board regarding police numbers.

Public Records

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment she has made of the relevance of unreleased Northern Ireland Office historical documents held at Swadlincote to the work of the Historical Enquiries Team in investigating cases from the past; and whether she plans to release these records to the National Archive under the Public Records Act 1958.

Theresa Villiers: There are no Northern Ireland Office records held at Swadlincote.

Tobacco: Packaging

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions she has had with the Northern Ireland Executive regarding the introduction of standardised packaging for cigarettes; and if she will make a statement.

Theresa Villiers: I have not been asked by any Northern Ireland Executive Minister to discuss standardised packaging for cigarettes. As this matter relates to the promotion of health I would expect any communication between Whitehall and the Northern Ireland Executive to be undertaken primarily between the Department of Health and the Northern Ireland Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety.

WOMEN AND EQUALITIES

Charities Act 2006

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what reports the Government Equalities Office has laid before each House of Parliament pursuant to section 70(9) of the Charities Act 2006 in 2012-13.

Helen Grant: The Government Equalities Office did not lay any reports, before either House of Parliament, pursuant to section 70(9) of the Charities Act 2006 in 2012-13.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Charities Act 2006

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what reports her Department has laid before each House of Parliament pursuant to section 70(9) of the Charities Act 2006 in 2012-13.

Helen Grant: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport did not lay any reports, before either House of Parliament, pursuant to section 70(9) of the Charities Act 2006 in 2012-13.

DEFENCE

Army: Germany

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 16 October 2013, Official Report, column 740, on army: Germany, what additional financial support his Department provided as a result of this re-basing to the local authorities in which (a) Dalton Barracks, Abingdon, (b) Kendrew Barracks, Cottesmore and (c) Imjin Barracks, Gloucester are situated by category of expenditure.

Anna Soubry: We expect that rebasing the Army from Germany will have a positive impact on the local economies in these areas.
	Additional funding will be made available to local schools from the Department for Education through the Service Pupil Premium.

Public Expenditure

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements he has agreed with HM Treasury for carrying over unspent CDEL and RDEL at the end of each financial year.

Philip Hammond: In recognition of the improving financial management of the Department, HM Treasury have granted us the flexibility to carry forward our RDEL and CDEL underspend from financial year (FY) 2012-13 into FYs 2013-14 and 2014-15. The details are published in the Ministry of Defence 2012-13 Annual Report and Accounts which is available on the GOV.UK website at the following link:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/222874/MOD_AR13_clean.pdf

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Bovine Tuberculosis

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the Independent Expert Panel has been asked to consider the possibility of humane gassing as part of the culls.

George Eustice: The panel has been appointed specifically to look at the effectiveness, humaneness and safety of controlled shooting only.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations or scientific advice he has received about the possible contribution of illegal killing of badgers to the 66 per cent drop in badger numbers in the Gloucestershire and Somerset cull zones.

George Eustice: No evidence has been received by DEFRA regarding the possibility of illegal culling contributing to the apparent reduction in the badger population in the two pilot cull areas between 2012 and 2013.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Jonathan Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made on the development of vaccines against TB for badgers and cattle; and when he expects these vaccines to be ready for general use.

George Eustice: We remain committed to deliver the substantial programme of work set out in EU Commissioner Tonio Borg's letter to the Secretary of State dated 14 January 2013 and if we continue to remain on course we would expect to see the lifting of the ban on cattle vaccination by 2023.
	An injectable badger vaccine was licensed in 2010. While it could have a role to play in our strategy to eradicate bovine TB, it offers a range of protection so that not all vaccinated badgers are fully protected and neither does it cure already infected badgers.
	We are investing in the development of an oral badger vaccine and bait delivery system but this work is still at the research stage. The vaccine formulation will require a veterinary medicines authorisation and we cannot say with any confidence when a usable vaccine might be ready for general use.

Floods: Housing

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many properties were judged to be at (a) significant and (b) very significant risk of flooding in each year since 2008.

Dan Rogerson: The following table lists the numbers of properties in areas of significant flood risk (one in 75 (1.3%) or greater chance of being flooded in any given year) in each year since 2008. Figures are from the Environment Agency's National Flood Risk Assessment (NaFRA).
	
		
			 Year of assessment Total number of properties in areas of significant risk (England only) 
			 2008 553,000 
			 2009 531,000 
			 2010-11 517,000 
			 2012 486,000 
			 2013 (August) 477,000 
		
	
	Unlike areas of significant flood risk, areas of very significant flood risk (greater than 1 in 20 (5%) chance of being flooded in any given year) have not been validated by local Environment Agency staff and are therefore not currently available. In December 2013 the Environment Agency are planning to publish new and updated flood maps to meet the requirements of the Flood Risk Regulations. The maps will show risk of flooding from rivers and sea, reservoirs and for the first time, surface water. The new maps will include areas of 'high risk' where the likelihood of flooding is greater than one in 30 (3.3%) in any given year.

Floods: Housing

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many properties moved from (a) very significant and (b) significant to a lower flood-risk category in each year since 2008.

Dan Rogerson: The Environment Agency monitors the performance of its flood and coastal erosion risk management programme using DEFRA outcome measures (OMs). DEFRA outcome measure OM2 records the number of houses moved out of any flood probability category to a lower probability category. DEFRA outcome measure OM2b records the number of houses moved from the very significant or significant probability category to the moderate or low probability category.
	The following table shows figures for OM2 and OM2b in England in each year since 2008.
	
		
			  Outcome measure 2 Outcome measure 2b 
			  Number of houses moved to a lower flood risk category in England since 2008 Number of houses moved from very significant or significant to the moderate or low flood risk categories in England since 2008 
			 2008-09 37,100 14,900 
			 2009-10 67,300 12,800 
			 2010-11 77,200 31,500 
			 2011-12 41,600 15,700 
			 2012-13 55,000 27,000 
			 Total 279,000 101,900

Rabies

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to prevent rabies entering the UK.

George Eustice: The UK operates a robust checking regime to make sure that animals entering the UK do not pose a risk to animal and human health. Ferry, rail and air operators are licensed to carry pets on the basis that they check every pet they transport for compliance with the rules of the EU Pet Travel Scheme. Pet animals brought into the UK for sale or rehoming are subject to risk-based post import checks.
	The risk of an animal with rabies coming into the UK is very low and the risk of rabies being passed from a pet to a person is lower still.

Sewers

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many sustainable urban drainage schemes were delivered in each year since 2008.

Dan Rogerson: These records are not held centrally. However, from April 2014 we plan to implement Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010, which requires approved sustainable drainage systems to be registered by the Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA). This will ensure that the number of approved sustainable urban drainage systems withineach LLFA is a matter of public record in the future.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Ambulance Services

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations she has received from police forces on the non-availability of ambulances to fulfil requests for attendance at emergencies.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 24 October 2013
	Police forces and the Police Federation have recently provided examples of police vehicles being used to transport members of the public in need of urgent medical care. These examples highlight the demand placed upon police forces when they respond to incidents in place of an NHS ambulance.
	The police should not have to respond in this way. Earlier this year the Secretary of State for the Home Department announced a review of emergency ambulance provision specifically around mental health crisis, to ensure that these individuals receive the right response from the right agency. Further, the Government will support greater collaboration between the emergency services to improve standards and drive out inefficiencies.

Community Orders

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what proportion of victims chose to punish offenders by (a) a community resolution and (b) formal prosecution in the last 12 months for which information is available. [R]

Damian Green: It is the role of the police or the Crown Prosecution Service to decide on an appropriate resolution for reported crimes. These decisions are often taken in consultation with the victims of crime, whose views are taken into consideration.

Energy

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what costs were incurred by her Department's estate in respect of (a) gas and (b) electricity supply in the 2012-13 financial year.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 28 October 2013
	The Home Office including its executive agencies incurred the following costs in respect of (a) gas and (b) electricity supply in the 2012-13 financial year.
	
		
			 Estate costs in respect of gas and electricity supply in the 2012-13 financial year 
			    £ 
			 (a) Gas Directly invoiced by energy suppliers 1,140,136 
			 (b) Electricity Directly invoiced by energy suppliers 5,744,078 
			 (a) and (b) Gas and Electricity Purchase of Home Office Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) allowances under the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme (attributable to Home Office and its agencies as at 31 March 2013) 422,935

European Convention on Human Rights

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has been having with her European counterparts on the renegotiation of the non-refoulement aspect to Article 3 of the European Convention of Human Rights since May 2010.

Mark Harper: The Government is committed to upholding its international obligations towards those who need our protection. This includes respecting the principle of non-refoulement by not removing a person to a place where they would face a real risk of persecution, or torture or inhuman or degrading treatment.
	We continue to engage constructively with our European counterparts on all aspects of the European Convention on Human Rights to ensure that the right balance is struck between upholding the rights of individuals and ensuring the security of the public.

Firearms: Crime

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make it her policy to gather information on the number of offences committed involving (a) legally held and (b) illegally held firearms.

Damian Green: holding answer 29 October 2013
	The Home Office will have discussions with the police about whether the current data collection should be expanded.

Hillsborough Independent Panel

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which police forces are expected to second investigators to Operation Resolve; and if she will ensure that no investigator who was involved in investigating the conduct of the police relating to Hillsborough in 1989 will be involved in that operation.

Theresa May: holding answer 28 October 2013
	When recruiting for the Operation Resolve investigation, the application process made clear that applications would not be accepted from police officers who have served or were currently serving with the following forces—West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, West Midlands or Merseyside.
	Officers from all other police forces have been invited to apply to be seconded to the investigation, but applications have only been accepted from serving officers and former officers who have no prior connection to previous Hillsborough investigations.

Mental Illness

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to ensure that the (a) police and (b) emergency services have sufficient training and resources to meet the needs of people with mental illness appropriately and respectfully.

Damian Green: The College of Policing provides national training and learning resources covering mental health, detention, restraint and vulnerability of individuals.
	Training is provided through the national police curriculum and national learning resources are provided to police officers and staff in all Home Office forces via the National Centre for Applied Learning Technology (NCALT) Managed Learning Environment.

Passports

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many UK citizens held a British passport on 21 October 2013.

Mark Harper: holding answer 24 October 2013
	Her Majesty's Passport Office estimates there are 49.3 million valid passports in circulation as at 21 October 2013. The figure is based on the total number of passports issued in the last ten years and takes account that some of these passports would replace passports that had been lost or required replacing for other reasons.

Police Federation of England and Wales

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of (a) cost savings and (b) the number of extra police officers able to be hired if police officer time spent on Police Federation business was not charged to the public purse and paid for by the Police Federation.

Damian Green: holding answer 29 October 2013
	The Home Office has made no such estimate. The cost and deployment profile of police forces is a matter for chief constables and police and crime commissioners.
	The Police Federation has commissioned an independent review of its organisation and I will consider its findings, alongside the views of the Federation itself; before implementing any changes to the Police Federation.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Charities Act 2006

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what reports his Department has laid before each House of Parliament pursuant to section 70(9) of the Charities Act 2006 in 2012-13.

Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change has not laid any reports before either House of Parliament pursuant to section 70(9) of the Charities Act 2006 in 2012-13.

Green Deal Scheme

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what target his Department has set for the number of homes within the UK to take out a Green Deal package.

Gregory Barker: As confirmed in the Government response to the Energy and Climate Change Committee's inquiry into the Green Deal, issued on 12 July, our expectation for March 2015 is to see one or more energy efficiency and Green Deal improvement measures fitted in 1 million households, whether through the Energy Company Obligation, Green Deal finance or other financing options (or, indeed, through combinations of these financing options pursued following a Green Deal Assessment).

Offshore Industry: Safety

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment his Department has made of the effects of the restructuring of the Health and Safety Executive on the offshore oil and gas (a) industry and (b) workforce; and what recent discussions on this issue his Department has had with trades unions.

Michael Penning: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.
	HSE's offshore regulatory programmes and priorities are completely unaffected by the change and so there will be no adverse impacts on industry or the work force. Furthermore, HSE will be recruiting additional offshore inspectors.
	HSE has continued to meet regularly with trade union representatives since the creation of energy division. Senior managers from HSE's energy division will meet with representatives of industry, trade unions and the work force on 30 October 2013, at the industry body, Step Change in Safety's Industry Leadership Safety meeting in Aberdeen.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Business

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the support available for businesses employing fewer than 10 people provided by his Department;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the support available in other countries to businesses employing fewer than 10 people.

Matthew Hancock: We repeatedly assess the adequacy of support and compare internationally.
	We will be publishing a Small Business Strategy, setting out how the Government will make it easier for micro and small businesses to grow. To develop the strategy, we have consulted with entrepreneurs, small and micro business owners, and reviewed the support provided by BIS, its partner organisations, and the rest of Government. We have invited them to tell us what Government should do more of, less of, and differently. Alongside this, we have reviewed the way that business support is provided in a number of other industrialised countries.
	One of the issues raised by businesses is that Government support needs to be more visible, so in early November we will launch a campaign to inspire small and micro businesses to grow, and to raise awareness of the support available.

Business

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will assess the adequacy of the advice made available to businesses employing fewer than 10 people by their bank.

Matthew Hancock: The Government recognises the important role played by the private sector in supporting and advising small and micro businesses. Survey evidence indicates that awareness and the impact of this advice could be improved and therefore we continue to work with the British Bankers' Association (BBA) and the banks on how they engage with small businesses.
	The BBA as a result of collaboration with Government introduced the Better Business Finance Taskforce which made a number of commitments that the banks are currently implementing to improve the level of advice provided by banks to their customers. In addition, a number of banks are now bringing in formal accreditation for their relationship managers, which should further improve the service that small businesses receive.

Business

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many (a) businessmen and (b) businesswomen he has met in the last month.

Matthew Hancock: As the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), meets so many businessmen and businesswomen it is impossible to give an accurate figure.

Business: Mental Illness

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to support businesses to reduce the costs of poor mental health in its employees.

Jo Swinson: The Health and Work Assessment and Advisory Service will help employees on, or expected to reach, a period of sickness absence lasting four weeks including mental health conditions, to return to work. We have also supported the Royal College of Psychiatrists to produce an online information and guidance resource to aid discussions about returning to work after a period of mental ill health. The Gov.uk website also provides a range of links to additional guidance for employers to assist them in supporting employees with health-related work issues (including mental health).

Employment Appeal Tribunal

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the costs incurred by his Department to date are in pursuit of the appeal against the decision of the Employment Appeals Tribunals in relation to the case of Usdaw v. Woolworths.

Jo Swinson: Our own costs to date are in the region of £27,000 before VAT. We have undertaken to pay the respondent's reasonable costs on a standard basis in the Court of Appeal.

Mental Illness: Discrimination

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to encourage businesses to sign up to Time to Change through its health, work and wellbeing initiative.

Norman Lamb: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department of Health.
	The Department of Health has refreshed its Responsibility Deal pledge on mental health and well-being to cover important areas including stigma and discrimination in the workplace. This pledge encourages signatories to support the ‘Time to Change’' movement. Responsibility Deal pledges are actively promoted across a wide range of businesses.

Petrochemicals: Industry

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change about the future of the UK petrochemical industry.

Michael Fallon: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to him on 28 October 2013, Official Report, column 370W.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Internet Services Review

Julian Huppert: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether the current review of PICT and Parliament's internet presence will explicitly include a process review of internal services covered by (a) the Hansard Reporting Suite 2 project and (b) the Procedural Business and Data Programmes.

John Thurso: A Strategic Review of Online Services is being conducted on behalf of the two Houses by mySociety Ltd. This study will not explicitly include process review of the internal services covered by the former HRS2 project nor any other projects that form part of the Parliamentary Business Programme or its predecessor the Procedural Data Programme.
	The review's terms of reference are as follows:
	to review how well our online services meet the current and likely future corporate objectives of the two Houses;
	to review how well our online services meet the current and likely future needs of users, both external and internal;
	to review whether our arrangements for delivering online services are fit for purpose and represent value for money; and
	to make recommendations.
	The Director of Service Delivery in the Department of Information Services would be happy to meet my hon. Friend to discuss these matters.

Official Report: ICT

Julian Huppert: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, how much of the failed Hansard Reporting Suite 2 programme was built using open-source software; and which commercial or open-source software was in use when that programme was halted.

John Thurso: Parliamentary ICT always considers using open-source software as part of the production process when developing in-house systems. However, due to the methodologies used to develop a complex system such as HR2 it is not possible to divide the software used into open source and commercial software.
	The Director of Parliamentary ICT would be happy to meet my hon. Friend to discuss these matters.

TREASURY

Business: Loans

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  for each of the years in which the Independent External Reviewer to the Appeals Process for lending to small and medium-sized enterprise businesses has been operational, how many appeals against a decision to refuse loans to a business by a bank have been (a) considered and (b) overturned by him; and what the distribution was of cases and outcomes between participating banks;
	(2)  if he will make it his policy to require all banks to notify in writing any business with a turnover of less than £25 million per annum that is refused a loan of its right to have that decision reviewed by an independent member of staff and referred to the Independent External Reviewer to the Appeals Process for lending to small and medium-sized enterprise businesses; and if he will make a statement.

Sajid Javid: In April 2011 the major UK banks established the Appeals Process as one of the 17 commitments of the Business Finance Taskforce. The process allows any business, with a turnover of up to £25 million, which is declined any form of lending to appeal that decision—for any reason—to the participating bank concerned.
	If an appeal is raised, the decision will be reviewed by a second person from within the bank who was not involved in the original decision.
	Results from the first two years of the process show that in 40% of cases where a decline was appealed against, a lending agreement with which both parties were satisfied was reached.

Child Benefit

Bob Russell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to split child benefit between parents that have shared custody; and if he will make a statement.

Nicky Morgan: Although splitting the support may appear straightforward, the reality is likely to be quite different. If, under current arrangements, parents cannot agree who should receive the support, they are just as unlikely to agree about how the payments should be split where more formal arrangements exist.
	Directing payment of child benefit to the person mainly responsible for looking after the children ensures that the money goes to the person most likely to be providing day to day care. Even where care of the child is shared it is usually the case that there is one person that bears more of the weight of everyday responsibility for the child and meets the everyday expenditure.
	The Government has already prioritised investing in early education and child care to support all families, including those with separated parents, through:
	extending the free entitlement to provide 15 hours a week of free early education and child care for all three and four-year-olds, and to 40% of two-year-olds from lower income families; and
	providing 70% of child care costs through the working tax credit and extending this support under universal credit to those working fewer than 16 hours a week.

Republic of Ireland

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what financial assistance has been given to the Irish Republic in each year since 2010.

Sajid Javid: In accordance with the Loans to Ireland Act 2010, HM Treasury reports to Parliament every six months with information on the UK's bilateral loan to Ireland. The loan of £3.2 billion (€3.8 billion) was agreed in 2010 and disbursed in eight tranches of £403.7 million each; one in 2011, four in 2012 and three in 2013. The final tranche was disbursed on 26 September 2013.
	The UK's bilateral loan was provided as part of a broader Economic Adjustment Programme for Ireland, which included a joint financing package of €67.5 billion comprising contributions from the European Financial Stabilisation Mechanism (EFSM) of €22.5 billion, an additional €17.5 billion from euro area member states under the European Financial Stability Facility (EFS-F) as well as funding from the IMF of €22.5 billion. There were also bilateral contributions from Sweden and Denmark of €0.6 billion and €0.4 billion respectively. Excluding the UK's bilateral loan, €33.89 billion was disbursed in 2011, followed by €20.22 billion in 2012 and €6.36 billion in 2013 with further disbursements to be made later this year.

Taxation: Appeals

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many cases investigated by HM Revenue and Customs were awaiting a tax tribunal hearing on 31 March (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012 and (d) 2013; and what steps he is taking to reduce these figures.

Shailesh Vara: I am responding to this question on behalf of the Ministry of Justice as the First-tier Tribunal (Tax Chamber) is part of HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS).
	The Ministry of Justice publishes data on tax appeals as Official Statistics in Tribunals Statistics Quarterly. The data on the outstanding caseload for the financial years (a) 2009-10 (b) 2010-11, (c) 2011-12 and (d) 2012-13, as well as details of appeals received and disposed of in the same periods, are available in Tribunal Statistics (quarterly and annual—January to March2013/2012-13), available at the following address:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tribunal-statistics-quarterly-and-annual-jan-mar-2013-2012-13
	At the end of June 2013 65% of the Tribunal's outstanding caseload were “on hold” pending the outcome of lead cases which are being considered either in the First-tier Tribunal, the Upper Tribunal or in the higher courts (e.g. Court of Appeal). It is, therefore, helpful to look at this information together with the data on appeals received and disposed of in the same period. As lead cases are decided, those cases which have been put “on hold” can themselves be progressed through the system or decided appropriately. The number of cases disposed of by the First-tier Tribunal in 2012-13 was 14% higher than the previous year and some of these cases were ones which had been “on hold” pending the decision of a higher court.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Human Rights

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures (a) have already been implemented and (b) are planned to ensure that Government procurement takes account of human rights matters.

David Lidington: Government procurement process requires that human rights-related matters are appropriately considered when purchasing goods, works and services. It allows for tenderers to be excluded from bidding for a contract in certain circumstances, including grave misconduct by a company where there are breaches of human rights. As part of the UK's newly launched Action Plan on Business and Human Rights, the Government has made a commitment to review State contracting and purchasing of goods and services, and make recommendations to ensure that these are executed with respect for human rights.

Middle East

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Israel's renewal of co-operation with the United Nations Council for Human Rights would require a commitment by the UK and other Western European states not to discuss Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories within article 7 discussions.

Hugh Robertson: I am pleased that since the hon. Member's question, Israel announced on 27 October that it will be take part in the Universal Periodic Review process.

Overseas Trade: Human Rights

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which countries the Overseas Business Risk register currently gives no specific human rights information on; and when that information will be included for each such country.

Hugo Swire: The Overseas Business Risk web-based service provides information on risk and security related issues in a wide selection of markets.
	Of the country pages currently on the website there is no human rights information for Barbados, Bulgaria, Poland and Ukraine. We are currently undertaking an exercise to update all country pages, and to include additional markets, to ensure all have a human rights section. There is already generic advice for business on the website on human rights issues.

Overseas Trade: Human Rights

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the document, Good business: implementing the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, published in September 2013, when he plans to begin the review of the activities of UK state-owned, controlled or supported enterprises and of state contracting and purchasing of goods and services to ensure compliance with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

David Lidington: We are working work with the cross-Whitehall steering group on business and human rights to identify appropriate Department leads and to co-ordinate Government efforts on the commitments made in the UK Action Plan: Good Business. The group has not yet agreed the timing of the planned review of state-owned and contracted enterprises and state purchasing of goods and services with regards to respect for human rights. We plan to publish a report on our progress by the end of 2015.

Sri Lanka

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if at the forthcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting he will (a) condemn Sri Lanka's human rights record and (b) take steps to oppose Sri Lanka becoming Chair of the Commonwealth.

Hugo Swire: We remain concerned at the human rights situation in Sri Lanka. During the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting (CHOGM) the Prime Minister, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, and I will see the situation on the ground in Sri Lanka and deliver clear messages to the Sri Lanka Government that concrete progress is needed on human rights.
	In the Commonwealth, the country which hosts CHOGM also takes on the role of Chair-in-Office. The decision that Sri Lanka should host CHOGM in 2013 and chair the organisation for two years thereafter was taken in 2009 in the Port of Spain. There has been no widespread support from Commonwealth members to change that decision. We have made clear to Sri Lanka, as CHOGM host and forthcoming Chair, that we expect it to live up to Commonwealth values.

Sri Lanka

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to encourage the Sri Lankan Government to uphold human rights law.

Hugo Swire: We continue to have serious concerns about the human rights situation in Sri Lanka.
	We have consistently and actively pressed, including at ministerial level, for progress on human rights, reconciliation and accountability through our engagement with the Sri Lankan Government, the Commonwealth, the UN Human Rights Council and in contact with other states.
	When visiting Sri Lanka for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) we will take a tough message to the Sri Lankan Government that they need to make concrete progress on human rights, reconciliation and political settlement. Ahead of the meeting we have been clear that we expect unrestricted access for media and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) attending CHOGM.

Sri Lanka

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department has held with civil society organisations in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka on the political and security situation in that country.

Hugo Swire: Officials in our high commission in Colombo regularly discuss the political and security situation in Sri Lanka with civil society organisations in the Northern Province. They also frequently raise these issues with international organisations and humanitarian agencies as well as with Colombo based civil society organisations and the Sri Lankan authorities.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Baha'i Faith

Neil Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she is taking to promote human rights for Baha'i communities through (a) her Department's programmes and (b) the United Nations.

Lynne Featherstone: The UK recognises that human rights underpin sustainable development. DFID works closely with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in promoting freedom of religion and belief worldwide. DFID funds the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights but the UK's development and humanitarian aid is not targeted at specific groups but at the poorest, regardless of race, religion or creed.
	However, minorities and excluded groups are often among the poorest within their communities, and so we work to ensure that the most vulnerable are benefitting from UK aid. For example, we are working with minority religious groups to ensure inclusive and sustainable poverty reduction in Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and India.
	DFID's partnership principles require that before providing direct support to Governments, we assess their shared commitment to respecting the human rights of citizens, including freedom of religion and belief. In 2011, DFID developed Faith Partnership Principles outlining our approach to working with faith groups to overcome poverty.

CDC

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent steps she has taken to increase the role of the Commonwealth Development Corporation in supporting entrepreneurship in developing countries.

Alan Duncan: Under a new five year strategy approved in May 2012, CDC's new investments will focus solely on supporting the growth of businesses and job creation across Africa and South Asia. CDC now invests particularly in the harder places, where the private sector is weak and jobs are scarce, and in sectors where growth leads to most jobs, such as manufacturing, agribusiness, infrastructure, financial institutions, construction, health and education.
	In 2012, CDC was supporting over 1,200 businesses in 77 countries, which are providing over 1 million jobs. Recent CDC investments include Export Trading Group, a pan-African agribusiness company employing over 7,000 people and supporting hundreds of thousands of small farmers; and Au Financiers, a non-bank finance company in India specialising in providing finance to entrepreneurs for the acquisition of small and medium-sized commercial vehicles.

Developing Countries: Females

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she intends to take to ensure that women's equality and empowerment are part of the post-2015 international development agenda.

Justine Greening: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Solihull (Lorely Burt) on 24 October 2013, Official Report, column 269W.

CABINET OFFICE

Transparency Agenda

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent steps he has taken to develop his Department's transparency agenda.

Nick Hurd: We will publish the first draft of the UK National Information Infrastructure (NII)—a list of the datasets held by Government Departments with the broadest potential to add economic or social value or enable greater efficiency in public services—at the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Annual Summit on 31 October/1 November.
	We will also publish the second UK National Action Plan (NAP) at the OGP Summit, setting out ambitious transparency commitments of all types, e.g. on tax, beneficial ownership, extractives, land, open data and more.

Fraud, Error and Uncollected Debt

Nadhim Zahawi: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what progress his Department has made on tackling fraud, error and uncollected debt in public sector contracts.

Karl McCartney: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what progress his Department has made on tackling fraud, error and uncollected debt in public sector contracts.

Francis Maude: Last year the Government saved the taxpayer £6.5 billion through reducing fraud, error and debt. This programme is co-ordinated by the Cabinet Office.

British Nationals Abroad: EU Countries

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the number of British citizens who were living in other European countries in (a) 1991, (b) 2001, (c) 2011 and (d) 2013 to date; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated October 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the number of British citizens who were living in other European countries in (a) 1991, (b) 2001, (c) 2011 and (d) 2013 to date; and if he will make a statement.
	ONS does not collect information regarding British citizens resident in other EU countries, However, Eurostat publishes figures on population by citizenship for EU countries, these are available at:
	http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/population/data/database
	ONS produces estimates of Long-Term International Migration flows which are primarily based on the International Passenger Survey (IPS). Detailed information on countries of next residence of emigrants from the UK is available for 1975 to 2011 using the IPS component of these estimates. Published estimates on the Top 10 countries of next residence for emigrants who are British citizens can be found in our Series 3 tables (3.20b) on the ONS website at:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/migration1/long-term-international-migration/2011/3-20abc-ips-top-countries-of-last-or-next-residence-by-citizenship--1975-2011.xls

British Nationals Abroad: Higher Education

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the number of UK citizens who were studying in further and higher education institutions in other European countries in (a) 1991, (b) 2001, (c)  2011 and (d) 2013 to date; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated October 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the number of UK citizens who were studying in further and higher education institutions in other European countries in (a) 1991, (b) 2001, (c) 2011 and (d) 2013 to date; and if he will make a statement.
	ONS does not collect information regarding the number of UK citizens studying in further and higher education institutions in other EU countries. However, the European Commission publishes figures on students studying abroad as part of the Erasmus programme these are available at:
	http://ec.europa.eu/education/erasmus/statistics_en.htm
	The United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) publishes statistics on the global flow of further and higher education students. These are available at:
	http://www.uis.unesco.org/education/Pages/international-student-flow-viz.aspx

Energy

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what costs were incurred by his Department's estate in respect of (a) gas and (b) electricity supply in the 2012-13 financial year.

Francis Maude: The amount spent by the Cabinet Office on electricity and gas in 2012-13 is available in the Cabinet Office annual report and accounts at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/225980/HC_15.pdf

Government Departments: Procurement

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of Government contracts awarded since May 2010 were awarded to (a) male-owned small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and (b) female-owned SMEs.

Nick Hurd: We do not hold the information requested.

Government Departments: Procurement

William Bain: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps he can take to terminate a contract for a Government service entered into with a private sector entity in situations where concerns emerge about the commercial or other practices of that entity or its corporate group in other countries in which it operates.

Nick Hurd: Individual contracts contain clauses covering the conditions under which the contract may be terminated.

Health

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the level of happiness was in each local authority area in each year for which data is available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Joe Grice, dated October 2013
	As Director-General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the level of happiness was in each local authority area in each year for which data is available. (173133)
	Personal well-being estimates at local authority level are available from the Annual Population Survey personal well-being datasets for the years 2011/12 and 2012/13.
	In October 2013, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) published a report entitled 'Personal Well-being Across the UK, 2012/13'. Estimates from the question 'Overall, how happy did you feel yesterday?' were published at local authority level in supporting reference tables for both years for which the data are available.
	The report and reference tables are available from the following weblink:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/wellbeing/measuring-national-well-being/personal-well-being-across-the-uk--2012-13/index.html

Hearing Impairment

Julian Huppert: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what work his Department is co-ordinating across Government on deaf communication and language support.

Nick Hurd: It is for individual Government Departments to determine what support people who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired require.
	However, the Cabinet Office's work to redesign services and make them digital by default will make it much easier for those who are deaf or hard of hearing to access information and public services. Gov.uk is already an important repository of information, replacing the websites of individual departments. Our work to digitise services continues apace and the first wave of 25 exemplar services will go live by 2015.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when the Major Projects Authority Report into High Speed 2 will be published in full.

Francis Maude: The Cabinet Office has already published project-level information on all of the Government's major projects in May. An update will be published next year.

New Businesses

Toby Perkins: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many new businesses were registered in each (a) parliamentary constituency and (b) region of the UK in each month since January 2008.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Joe Grice, dated October 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking the Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills the number of new businesses registered in each (a) parliamentary constituency and (b) region of the UK in each month since January 2008.
	These data are not produced monthly, however, data on the number of business births are published annually in the ONS release on Business Demography at:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/bus-register/business-demography/index.hml
	The latest data available are for 2011. Data for 2012 will be available on 27th November 2013.
	The attached tables show the number of new businesses registered in each parliamentary constituency and region for the years 2008 to 2011. The data are taken from the Inter Departmental Business Register (IDBR) and show the number of new businesses that have registered for VAT and/or PAYE. These numbers do not include very small businesses, typically those below the threshold for VAT and PAYE. A copy of the tables will be stored in the Library of the House.

JUSTICE

Billing

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many invoices were processed by his Department in the last financial year which figures are available.

Shailesh Vara: During financial year 2012-13 the Ministry of Justice paid a total of 618,813 invoices. This figure covers core MOJ including HMCTS and NOMS.

Charities Act 2006

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what reports his Department has laid before each House of Parliament pursuant to section 70(9) of the Charities Act 2006 in 2012-13.

Shailesh Vara: The Ministry of Justice did not lay any reports before Parliament pursuant to section 70(9) of the Charities Act 2006 during the parliamentary Session 2012-13.

EU Justice and Home Affairs

Jacob Rees-Mogg: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  if the Government will seek to continue without change the information exchange and co-operation with other EU member states established by Council Framework Decision 2009/948/JHA if the UK ceases to be bound by that Framework Decision pursuant to Article 10 of the Protocol on Transitional Provisions annexed to the EU treaties; how such information exchange and co-operation will be maintained; and what assessment he has made of whether this information exchange and co-operation will be maintained;
	(2)  in how many cases in each of the last four years UK authorities have conducted consultations with authorities of one or more other EU member state as a result of Article 10 of Council Framework Decision 2009/948/JHA; what the outcome of such consultations was in each case; and what his assessment is of how useful this co-operation has been to the UK;
	(3)  which requirements of Council Framework Decision 2009/948/JHA have not been implemented by the UK; and what measures the UK would need to take to implement these requirements;
	(4)  what the cost to the public purse has been in each of the last four years of UK compliance with Council Framework Decision 2009/948/JHA;
	(5)  how many requests for confirmation the UK has (a) made and (b) received in each of the last four years as a result of Article 5 of Council Framework Decision 2009/948/JHA; whether each of these requests received a response which was compliant with Article 9 of the Framework Decision; and how quickly each such response was given.

Shailesh Vara: Council Framework Decision 2009/948/JHA was due to be implemented in all member states by 15 June 2012. We have not implemented it pending the outcome of the 2014 Decision, of which this measure forms a part. Consequently, there have been no cases arising under its terms and no associated costs. The Government has since indicated it will not seek to rejoin this measure and does not currently intend to take any steps to implement this Framework Decision.
	The practices provided for by the Framework Decision are already generally established within the UK and effective co-operation is already commonplace between the competent authorities of the UK and those of other member states, We would expect these practices and that co-operation to continue, even if the UK is not bound by this Framework Decision.

Feltham Young Offender Institution

Steven Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the report by the Inspectorate of Prisons on HMP Young Offenders Institution Feltham, published in January 2013, and the effectiveness of the rehabilitation of young men imprisoned there.

Jeremy Wright: I note the chief inspector's concerns about the levels of violence among young people held at HMYOI Feltham. The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) is taking steps to improve performance in all areas to ensure that we are able to appropriately rehabilitate the young people held there and to keep them safe.
	This Government's vision is to transform youth custody to place education at the heart of it to equip young people with the skills, qualifications and self-discipline they need to re-engage with education, training or employment on release and stop offending.

Hunting Act 2004

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many people were (a) proceeded against and (b) convicted of offences under the Hunting Act 2004 in 2012; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many people were (a) proceeded against and (b) convicted of offences under the Wild Animals (Protection) Act 1996 in 2012; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  how many people were (a) proceeded against and (b) convicted of offences under the Deer Act 1991 in 2012; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  how many people were (a) proceeded against and (b) convicted of offences under the Badgers Act 1991 in 2012; and if he will make a statement.

Damian Green: The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and offenders found guilty at all courts of selected offences under the Hunting Act 2004, the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996, the Deer Act 1991 and the Protection of Badgers Act 1992, in England and Wales, in 2012, can be viewed in the table.
	The Government is committed to tackling crimes against wildlife. The Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime, chaired by a senior DEFRA officer and a senior police officer, is a multi-agency body comprising representatives of the Government and voluntary bodies with an interest in combating wildlife crime. It works hard to support the police and other law enforcement agencies who have primary responsibility for enforcing wildlife controls.
	Government contributes funding to the UK National Wildlife Crime Unit, further demonstrating its commitment to tackling wildlife crime. The NWCU assists in the prevention and detection of wildlife crime, by obtaining and disseminating intelligence, by undertaking analysis, and by directly assisting law enforcement agencies in wildlife crime investigations. Funding for the NWCU has been confirmed until March 2014.
	Please note, the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 consolidated the Badger Act 1991 and other Acts involving offences against badgers. Also, offences involving dogs under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 cannot be separately analysed from offences under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, and are excluded from the figures presented.
	
		
			 Defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and offenders found guilty at all courts of selected offences(1) under the Hunting Act 2004, the Wild Animals (Protection) Act 1996, the Deer Act 1991 and the Protection of Badgers Act 1992, in England and Wales, 2012(2, 3) 
			 Statute Proceeded against Found guilty 
			 Hunting Act 2004 84 48 
			 Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996 2 — 
			 Deer Act 1991 10 8 
			 Protection of Badgers Act 1992 64 31 
			 '-' = Nil (1) Includes offences under SS.1 and 6; 3(1) and 6; 3(2) and 6; .5(1)(a) and 6; S(1)(b) and 6; 5(1)(c) and 6; .5(1){d) and 6; 5(2)(a) and 6; 5(2)(b) and 6; 5(2)(c) and 6 Hunting Act 2004. Includes offences under SS.1 and 5 Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996. Includes offences under SS. 1 (2)(a); 1 (2)(b); 1 (2)(c) and 9; 1 (4) and 9; 2(1) and 9; 3 and 9; 4(1 )(a) and 9; 4(1)(b) and 9; 4(2)(a) and 9; 4(4)(a) and 9; 4(4)(b) and 9; 5(1) and 9; 5(2) S 9; 10(3)(a); 10(3)(b); 1(2)(b) and 9; 1(2)(a) and 9; 11(6); 11(7)(a); 11(7)(b); 1(2)(a) and 9; 10(3)(a) and 9; 10(3){b) and 9; 4(2)(b) and 9; 4(2)(c) and 9 Deer Act 1991. Includes offences under SS. 1(1); 1(3); 2(l)(a); 2(l)(b); 2(l)(c); 2(l)(d); 3(a): 3(b); 3(c); 3(d);3(e); 4; 5; 1(3); 2(l)(b); 2(l)(d); 10(8); 1(5); 3; 2(1)(b); 2(1 )(d); 1(3); 10(8) Protection of Badgers Act 1992. (2) The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services • Ministry of Justice.

Judges

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many new deputy district judges appointments in 2010 were (a) male, (b) female, (c) black, Asian and minority ethnic, (d) educated at the University of Oxford or University of Cambridge, (e) educated at other Russell Group universities, (f) educated at all other universities, (g) solicitors, (h) barristers and (i) Queen's Counsel;
	(2)  how many new district judges (County Courts) appointments in 2010 were (a) male, (b) female, (c) black, Asian and minority ethnic, (d) educated at the University of Oxford or University of Cambridge, (e) educated at other Russell Group universities, (f) educated at all other universities, (g) solicitors, (h) barristers and (i) Queen's Counsel;
	(3)  how many new recorders appointments in 2010 were (a) male, (b) female, (c) black, Asian and minority ethnic, (d) educated at the University of Oxford or University of Cambridge, (e) educated at other Russell Group universities, (f) educated at all other universities, (g) solicitors, (h) barristers and (i) Queen's Counsel;
	(4)  how many new circuit judges appointments in 2010 were (a) male, (b) female, (c) black, Asian and minority ethnic, (d) educated at the University of Oxford or University of Cambridge, (e) educated at other Russell Group universities, (f) educated at all other universities, (g) solicitors, (h) barristers and (i) Queen's Counsel;
	(5)  how many new deputy masters, deputy registrars, deputy cost judges and deputy district judges appointments in 2010 were (a) male, (b) female, (c) black, Asian and minority ethnic, (d) educated at the University of Oxford or University of Cambridge, (e) educated at other Russell Group universities, (f) educated at all other universities, (g) solicitors, (h) barristers and (i) Queen's Counsel;
	(6)  how many new masters, registrars, costs judges and district judges appointments in 2010 were (a) male, (b) female, (c) black, Asian and minority ethnic, (d) educated at the University of Oxford or University of Cambridge, (e) educated at other Russell Group universities, (f) educated at all other universities, (g) solicitors, (h) barristers and (i) Queen's Counsel;
	(7)  how many new deputy judge advocates appointments in 2010 were (a) male, (b) female, (c) black, Asian and minority ethnic, (d) educated at the University of Oxford or University of Cambridge, (e) educated at other Russell Group universities, (f) educated at all other universities, (g) solicitors, (h) barristers and (i) Queen's Counsel;
	(8)  how many new judge advocates appointments in 2010 were (a) male, (b) female, (c) black, Asian and minority ethnic, (d) educated at the University of Oxford or University of Cambridge, (e) educated at other Russell Group universities, (f) educated at all other universities, (g) solicitors, (h) barristers and (i) Queen's Counsel;
	(9)  how many new High Court judges appointments in 2010 were (a) male, (b) female, (c) black, Asian and minority ethnic, (d) educated at the University of Oxford or University of Cambridge, (e) educated at other Russell Group universities, (f) educated at all other universities, (g) solicitors, (h) barristers and (i) Queen's Counsel;
	(10)  how many new deputy district judges (County Courts) appointments in 2011 were (a) male, (b) female, (c) black, Asian and minority ethnic, (d) educated at the University of Oxford or University of Cambridge, (e) educated at other Russell Group universities, (f) educated at all other universities, (g) solicitors, (h) barristers and (i) Queen's Counsel;
	(11)  how many new district judges (County Courts) appointments in 2011 were (a) male, (b) female, (c) black, Asian and minority ethnic, (d) educated at the University of Oxford or University of Cambridge, (e) educated at other Russell Group universities, (f) educated at all other universities, (g) solicitors, (h) barristers and (i) Queen's Counsel;
	(12)  how many new recorders appointments in 2011 were (a) male, (b) female, (c) black, Asian and minority ethnic, (d) educated at the University of Oxford or University of Cambridge, (e) educated at other Russell Group universities, (f) educated at all other universities, (g) solicitors, (h) barristers and (i) Queen's Counsel;
	(13)  how many new circuit judges appointments in 2011 were (a) male, (b) female, (c) black, Asian and minority ethnic, (d) educated at the University of Oxford or University of Cambridge, (e) educated at other Russell Group universities, (f) educated at all other universities, (g) solicitors, (h) barristers and (i) Queen's Counsel;
	(14)  how many new deputy masters, deputy registrars, deputy cost judges and deputy district judges appointments in 2011 were (a) male, (b) female, (c) black, Asian and minority ethnic, (d) educated at the University of Oxford or University of Cambridge, (e) educated at other Russell Group universities, (f) educated at all other universities, (g) solicitors, (h) barristers and (i) Queen's Counsel;
	(15)  how many new masters, registrars, costs judges and district judges appointments in 2011 were (a) male, (b) female, (c) black, Asian and minority ethnic, (d) educated at the University of Oxford or University of Cambridge, (e) educated at other Russell Group universities, (f) educated at all other universities, (g) solicitors, (h) barristers and (i) Queen's Counsel;
	(16)  how many new deputy judge advocates appointments in 2011 were (a) male, (b) female, (c) black, Asian and minority ethnic, (d) educated at the University of Oxford or University of Cambridge, (e) educated at other Russell Group universities, (f) educated at all other universities, (g) solicitors, (h) barristers and (i) Queen's Counsel;
	(17)  how many new judge advocates appointments in 2011 were (a) male, (b) female, (c) black, Asian and minority ethnic, (d) educated at the University of Oxford or University of Cambridge, (e) educated at other Russell Group universities, (f) educated at all other universities, (g) solicitors, (h) barristers and (i) Queen's Counsel;
	(18)  how many new Lord Justices of Appeal appointments in 2011 were (a) male, (b) female, (c) black, Asian and minority ethnic, (d) educated at the University of Oxford or University of Cambridge, (e) educated at other Russell Group universities, (f) educated at all other universities, (g) solicitors, (h) barristers and (i) Queen's Counsel;
	(19)  how many new deputy district judges appointments in 2012 were (a) male, (b) female, (c) black, Asian and minority ethnic, (d) educated at the University of Oxford or University of Cambridge, (e) educated at other Russell Group universities, (f) educated at all other universities, (g) solicitors, (h) barristers and (i) Queen's Counsel;
	(20)  how many new district judges appointments in 2012 were (a) male, (b) female, (c) black, Asian and minority ethnic, (d) educated at the University of Oxford or University of Cambridge, (e) educated at other Russell Group universities, (f) educated at all other universities, (g) solicitors, (h) barristers and (i) Queen's Counsel;
	(21)  how many new recorders appointments in 2012 were (a) male, (b) female, (c) black, Asian and minority ethnic, (d) educated at the University of Oxford or University of Cambridge, (e) educated at other Russell Group universities, (f) educated at all other universities, (g) solicitors, (h) barristers and (i) Queen's Counsel;
	(22)  how many new circuit judges appointments in 2012 were (a) male, (b) female, (c) black, Asian and minority ethnic, (d) educated at the University of Oxford or University of Cambridge, (e) educated at other Russell Group universities, (f) educated at all other universities, (g) solicitors, (h) barristers and (i) Queen's Counsel;

Shailesh Vara: A more diverse judiciary is important in retaining the public's confidence and trust in justice, and better reflecting the society it serves. This Government has made a number of changes through the Crime and Courts Act 2013 that we believe will promote judicial diversity. We have introduced part time working in the senior courts, including the Supreme Court, we have enabled the equal merit provision for judicial appointments to allow protected characteristics to be taken into account where two applicants are of equal merit, and a statutory duty for the Lord Chancellor and Lord Chief Justice to encourage judicial diversity.
	There were no new deputy master, deputy registrar, deputy cost judge and deputy district judge appointments in 2010 or 2011.
	There were no new deputy judge advocate appointments in 2010 or 2011.
	There were no new recorder appointments in 2011.
	There were no new judge advocate appointments in 2011.
	There were no new deputy district judge appointments in 2012.
	The data requested concerning new appointments for the other judicial offices are not routinely published and will require extraction from the Judicial Database. I will write to the right hon. Member when it becomes available.

Judges

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many new High Court judges appointments in 2012 were (a) male, (b) female, (c) black, Asian and minority ethnic, (d) educated at the University of Oxford or University of Cambridge, (e) educated at other Russell Group universities, (f) educated at all other universities, (g) solicitors, (h) barristers and (i) Queen's Counsel;
	(2)  how many new judge advocates appointments in 2012 were (a) male, (b) female, (c) black, Asian and minority ethnic, (d) educated at the University of Oxford or University of Cambridge, (e) educated at other Russell Group universities, (f) educated at all other universities, (g) solicitors, (h) barristers and (i) Queen's Counsel;
	(3)  how many new deputy judge advocates appointments in 2012 were (a) male, (b) female, (c) black, Asian and minority ethnic, (d) educated at the University of Oxford or the University of Cambridge, (e) educated at other Russell Group universities, (f) educated at all other universities, (g) solicitors, (h) barristers and (i) Queen's Counsel;
	(4)  how many new masters, registrars, costs judges and district judges appointments in 2012 were (a) male, (b) female, (c) black, Asian and minority ethnic, (d) educated at the University of Oxford or the University of Cambridge, (e) educated at other Russell Group universities, (f) educated at all other universities, (g) solicitors, (h) barristers and (i) Queen's Counsel;
	(5)  how many new deputy masters, deputy registrars, deputy cost judges and deputy district judges appointments in 2012 were (a) male, (b) female, (c) black, Asian and minority ethnic, (d) educated at the University of Oxford or the University of Cambridge, (e) educated at other Russell Group universities, (f) educated at all other universities, (g) solicitors, (h) barristers and (i) Queen's Counsel.

Shailesh Vara: A more diverse judiciary is important in retaining the public's confidence and trust in justice, and better reflecting the society it serves. This Government has made a number of changes through the Crime and Courts Act 2013 that we believe will promote judicial diversity. We have introduced part time working in the senior courts, including the Supreme Court, we have enabled the equal merit provision for judicial appointments to allow protected characteristics to be taken into account where two applicants are of equal merit, and a statutory duty for the Lord Chancellor and Lord Chief Justice to encourage judicial diversity.
	There were no new judge advocate appointments made in 2012 and no new deputy judge advocate appointments made in 2012. There were no new deputy master, deputy registrar, deputy cost judge and deputy district judge appointments in 2012.
	The data requested concerning new appointments for the other judicial offices are not routinely published and will require extraction from the Judicial Database. I will write to the right hon. Member when it becomes available.

Judges

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many new Lord Justices of Appeal appointments in 2012 were (a) male, (b) female, (c) black, Asian and minority ethnic, (d) educated at the University of Oxford or University of Cambridge, (e) educated at other Russell Group universities, (f) educated at all other universities, (g) solicitors, (h) barristers and (i) Queen's Counsel;
	(2)  how many new Lord Justices of Appeal appointments in 2010 were (a) male, (b) female, (c) black, Asian and minority ethnic, (d) educated at the University of Oxford or University of Cambridge, (e) educated at other Russell Group universities, (f) educated at all other universities, (g) solicitors, (h) barristers and (i) Queen's Counsel;
	(3)  how many new High Court judges appointments in 2011 were (a) male, (b) female, (c) black, Asian and minority ethnic, (d) educated at the University of Oxford or University of Cambridge, (e) educated at other Russell Group universities, (f) educated at all other universities, (g) solicitors, (h) barristers and (i) Queen's Counsel.

Shailesh Vara: A more diverse judiciary is important in retaining the public's confidence and trust in justice, and better reflecting the society it serves. This Government has made a number of changes through the Crime and Courts Act 2013 that we believe will promote judicial diversity. We have introduced part-time working in the senior courts, including the Supreme Court, we have enabled the equal merit provision for judicial appointments to allow protected characteristics to be taken into account where two applicants are of equal merit, and a statutory duty for the Lord Chancellor and Lord Chief Justice to encourage judicial diversity.
	I committed to write to the right hon. Member in relation to PQs 172565 and 172574 and this forms the response to those previous questions and the latest one, PQ 173099.
	Data on gender and ethnicity has been extracted from the Judicial Database.
	The Judicial Office does not collect data on educational backgrounds of Judicial Office holders.
	Any appointment as Queen's Counsel is subsumed by the more senior appointment on elevation to the Court of Appeal or High Court. However, it is possible to confirm that all justices of the Court of Appeal appointed in 2010, 2011 and 2012 are also Queen's Counsel.
	Data on gender, BAME, profession and Queen's Counsel for new Lord Justices of Appeal appointed in 2010, 2011 and 2012 are as follows:
	
		
			  New Lord Justices of Appeal Male Female Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) Solicitor Barrister QC 
			 2010 4 3 1 0 0 4 4 
			 2011 5 4 1 0 0 5 5 
			 2012 3 3 0 0 0 3 3

Judges

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what proportion of deputy district judges working in magistrates' courts were (a) male, (b) female, (c) black, Asian and minority ethnic, (d) educated at the university of Oxford or university of Cambridge, (e) educated at other Russell Group universities, (f) educated at all other universities, (g) solicitors, (h) barristers and (i) Queen's counsel in each year since 2003;
	(2)  what proportion of district judges working in magistrates' courts were (a) male, (b) female, (c) black, Asian and minority ethnic, (d) educated at the university of Oxford or university of Cambridge, (e) educated at other Russell Group universities, (f) educated at all other universities, (g) solicitors, (h) barristers and (i) Queen's counsel in each year since 2003;
	(3)  what proportion of deputy district judges at a county court level were (a) male, (b) female, (c) black, Asian and minority ethnic, (d) educated at the university of Oxford or university of Cambridge, (e) educated at other Russell Group universities, (f) educated at all other universities, (g) solicitors, (h) barristers and (i) Queen's counsel in each year since 2003.

Shailesh Vara: A more diverse judiciary is important in retaining the public's confidence and trust in justice, and better reflecting the society it serves. This Government has made a number of changes through the Crime and Courts Act 2013 that we believe will promote judicial diversity. We have introduced part time working in the senior courts, including the Supreme Court, we have enabled the equal merit provision for judicial appointments to allow protected characteristics to be taken into account where two applicants are of equal merit, and a statutory duty for the Lord Chancellor and Lord Chief Justice to encourage judicial diversity.
	The data on the gender, ethnicity and professional background of the Judiciary are held and published by the Judicial Office. (Information on previous professional background was not published before 2007.)
	This data is available at:
	For 2013:
	http://www.judiciary.gov.uk/publications-and-reports/statistics/diversity-stats-and-gen-overview
	From 2001-12:
	http://www.judiciary.gov.uk/publications-and-reports/statistics/diversity-stats-and-gen-overview/archived-diversity-stats
	Information on the education or Queen's counsel status of the judiciary is not published by the Judicial Office.

Prison Service

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of prison officers in England have received training in mental health in each of the last five years.

Jeremy Wright: Training in mental health awareness is available to all prison officers. The training officers undertake depends on their role in their prison.
	During the last five years mental health training provided to NOMS staff has changed, and has been recorded in different ways using a number of different systems.
	Currently, centrally recorded information about training completed cannot be provided by grade. In this instance to provide you with accurate information would involve identifying and contacting sources of information in many different locations and would thus incur disproportionate cost.

Prison Service

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of prison officer trainees have received training in mental health as part of their basic training in each of the last five years.

Jeremy Wright: Since April 2008 all of the 3,040 prison officers, who have successfully completed their initial operational training, received training in mental health awareness. This awareness course provides officers with an understanding of mental health disorders and how to respond effectively to prisoners experiencing mental ill health. The number of prison officers who competed this training in each of the last five years is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Number of officers completed Initial training 
			 April 2008 to March 2009 1193 
			 April 2009 to March 2010 589 
			 April 2010 to March 2011 790 
			 April 2011 to March 2012 273 
			 April 2012 to March 2013 195 
			 Total 3,040

Prison Service

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment has been made of the availability of mental health training for prison officers since the publication of the Bradley Report in April 2009.

Jeremy Wright: The Department of Health (DH) oversaw a progress review in January 2013 of all recommendations outlined in the Bradley Report (2009). In respect of Recommendation 53, that awareness training on mental health must be made available for all prison officers, DH stated that this recommendation was complete.

Prisoners: Foreign Nationals

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  which foreign countries provide how much funding to the cost of keeping their nationals jailed in the UK;
	(2)  how much the UK pays to each foreign country for UK nationals jailed in its prisons.

Jeremy Wright: The cost of detaining prisoners in custody for the duration of a prison sentence is the responsibility of the state imposing the sentence and in which the offender is detained. The United Kingdom makes no contribution to other countries towards the cost of detention of British nationals imprisoned overseas, nor do other countries contribute towards the costs of detention of their nationals imprisoned here.

Registered Intermediaries

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent representations she has received on the number of Registered Intermediaries appointed for children.

Damian Green: Representations were received on this subject in the form of PQs 158562 and 170443 on 12 June and 15 October 2013 respectively, both of which were tabled by the hon. Member.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to answer question 170056, tabled on 7 October 2013 for answer on 10 October 2013.

Shailesh Vara: I understand that my hon. and learned Friend has now received a response to his parliamentary question and I apologise for the delay.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Children: Maintenance

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to his Department's publication entitled Departmental Child Maintenance Arrears and Compliance Strategy, published in January 2013, what conclusions he has reached regarding coming into force of section 40 of the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act 2008.

Steve Webb: We are exploring bringing into force powers laid out in the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act 2008, providing for the disclosure of payment information to credit reference agencies. This would be subject to a public consultation before any regulations were laid in Parliament.

Children: Maintenance

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to his Department's Child Maintenance Arrears and Compliance Strategy for 2012-17, published in January 2013, what (a) collection initiatives and (b) innovative approaches are being undertaken by his Department to tackle historical child maintenance arrears.

Steve Webb: In addition to exploring the potential for disclosing information to credit reference agencies, which will be subject to a public consultation if this is to be pursued; the Child Maintenance Service is also keeping under review the use of powers to accept "part payments" of child maintenance in lieu of the full amount owed. These powers were introduced in December 2012, and are currently only used where a client requests it. The use of these powers may be expanded in the future, with the Child Maintenance Service proactively offering the option of a part payment during debt negotiations.
	Additionally, and as noted in the arrears strategy, the Child Maintenance Service aims to act within 72 hours of a missed payment, and is seeking to make better use of data held by credit reference agencies to obtain more information about the financial circumstances of indebted parents.

Children: Maintenance

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what trials are being conducted by his Department to encourage and help separated parents liable for child maintenance payments to keep making these payments; and what evaluation of the outcomes of such trials has been undertaken;
	(2)  with reference to his Department's Child Maintenance Arrears and Compliance Strategy 2012-2017, published in January 2013, what progress his Department has made on a trial to help caseworkers better identify clients with child maintenance arrears who are genuinely unable to make the payments required of them and negotiate debt repayment plans; and whether he plans to publish the outcomes of that trial.

Steve Webb: The Child Maintenance Service is taking forward a programme of trials to specifically tackle arrears, whether supporting those who report they are unable to pay or those that are unwilling to accept their responsibilities to pay for child maintenance. The trials apply behaviour change principles and range from changing how the Child Maintenance Service communicates with clients at points when payments usually break-down, to sign-posting support to help clients better manage essential household expenditure. These trials either aim to help clients avoid missing payments, support clients who feel unable to pay to make payments, or ensure that clients who are unwilling to pay are compelled to make payments.
	Trialling begun in April 2013 and this programme will conclude in April 2014. Full evaluation will be undertaken when the programme concludes with successful trials considered for full implementation, and unsuccessful trials investigated and adapted if required to inform a new programme of trials for 2014-15. The Child Maintenance Service will publish the findings of successful trials at this point and share lessons learned if appropriate.

Electrical Safety: Publicity

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to raise awareness of electrical fires in workplaces in (a) Paisley and Renfrewshire North constituency, (b) Renfrewshire, (c) Scotland and (d) the UK.

Michael Penning: Health and Safety Executive (HSE) provides guidance on electrical safety on its website and in a number of publications with the aim of preventing fires, electric shocks or burns in the workplace. HSE inspectors may raise electrical safety matters where relevant during investigations and inspections.
	There are no specific initiatives aimed at Paisley and Renfrewshire North constituency, Renfrewshire or Scotland.

Energy

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what costs were incurred by his Department's estate in respect of (a) gas and (b) electricity supply in the 2012-13 financial year.

Esther McVey: The Department for Work and Pensions spent £8,748,531 on gas and £20,706,132 on electricity in the 2012-13 financial year.

Health and Safety Executive

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many safety inspectors worked full-time for the Health and Safety Executive in each year since 2008.

Michael Penning: The information requested is provided in the following table:
	
		
			 As of 31 March each year unless stated Number of inspectors 
			 2008-09 1,469 
			 2009-10 1,495 
			 2010-11 1,450 
			 2011-12 1,432 
			 2012-13 1,367 
			 2013-14 to date (as of 30 September 2013) 1,323

Hearing Impairment

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which Government Departments currently use NRCPD-registered communication professionals to support deaf people accessing their services.

Michael Penning: It is not possible to comment on the work of other Departments, however each Government Department has arrangements in place to provide interpreters for people who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired and who need to use its services. The Department for Work and Pensions has contracts in place with two providers to supply a face to face British Sign Language (BSL) interpreting service. Local arrangements with “off contract” suppliers can be used where they meet the required standards, offer value for money and/or where the customer has an established or trusted relationship with the interpreter.
	BSL interpreters supplied by the providers (and those used off contract) are qualified to NVQ Levels 1 to 4 (or equivalent) in BSL and are registered as a member with the National Register of Communication Professionals working with Deaf and Deafblind people (NRCPD) or have equivalent registration with other organisations.

Housing Benefit

Therese Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which councils have applied for a share of the £20 million extra discretionary housing payment; when he will announce which council is successful; and how much each such council will receive.

Steve Webb: The following councils have applied:
	South Lanarkshire
	South Northamptonshire
	Southwark
	Swindon
	West Dunbartonshire
	It should be noted that bids are being received on a rolling basis and it is not practical to make continual announcements relating to each bid. To simplify the process a panel is meeting monthly to discuss the outcome of bids and each council will be notified as soon as practically possible after those meetings have been held.
	The amount awarded will vary according to the extent to which bidding councils have demonstrated that the criteria for an award have been met.

Housing Benefit

Therese Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which councils are to receive a share of the £10 million of extra transitional discretionary housing payments; and how much each such council will receive.

Steve Webb: On 3 September 2013 the Department published information detailing a list of the councils that are to receive a share of the £10 million transitional funding, this was in addition to the £180 million of DHP funding made available this year.
	The information was published in DWP Circular S5/2013 and can be accessed at Gov.UK to which there is a link as follows. This document will be placed in the Library.
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/236632/s5-2013.pdf

In Work Credit

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) Wrexham constituency, (b) Wales and (c) the UK claimed in-work credit in each of the last five years.

Esther McVey: Statistics on the number of individuals who started to receive in work credit in Great Britain, Wales and Wrexham constituency in each of the last five years are provided as follows:
	
		
			  2009 2010 2011 2012 January 2013 to March 2013 
			 Wrexham 55 65 55 45 15 
			 Wales 2,700 3,100 3,000 2,700 700 
			 Great Britain(1) 53,400 63,200 60,900 58,700 16,000 
			 (1) The Department does not posses data on the number of in work credit starts in Northern Ireland, so the answer is only available for Great Britain. Notes: 1. Wrexham figures rounded to the nearest five, Wales and GB figures to the nearest 100. 2. The data for 2013 covers the period between January and March 2013, March 2013 is the latest data currently available. Source: Resource Management system

Industrial Health and Safety: Construction

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many construction sites were visited by a Health and Safety Executive safety inspector in each year since 2008.

Michael Penning: This information is not available in the form requested.
	The number of visits carried out by inspectors in the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) Construction Division since 2010-11 is provided in the following table:
	
		
			  Number of visits 
			 2010-11(1) 19,612 
			 2011-12 13,168 
			 2012-13 12,672 
			 2013-14 to end August(2) 5,373 
			 (1) Prior to 2011-12, numbers of inspection visits were not required as part of HSE's performance measures and were not recorded. Estimated inspection visits are included this 2010-11 figure based upon data collected at that time but are not available for previous years. (2) In-year figures are provisional. 
		
	
	These figures reflect records of proactive inspections, reactive investigations and complaints followed up. This is not the same as the number of sites visited but provides the best available picture. Some sites may have been visited more than once within these figures. Figures focusing on the numbers of sites visited are not part of HSE's performance measures and are therefore not currently collated.

Industrial Health and Safety: Construction

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many construction sites (a) in total and (b) in London were issued with a prohibition notice by the Health and Safety Executive in each year since 2008.

Michael Penning: The number of construction sites visited by the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) Construction Division since 2008-09, which resulted in the issue of a prohibition notice, is provided in the following table:
	
		
			  Number of sites visited resulting in the issue of a prohibition notice 
			 2008-09 1,477 
			 2009-10 2,022 
			 2010-11 2,079 
			 2011-12 1,763 
			 2012-13 1,462 
			 2013-14 to end August(1) 1,153 
			 (1 )In-year figures are provisional 
		
	
	The number of construction sites in London visited by HSE's Construction Division since 2008-09, which resulted in the issue of a prohibition notice, is provided in the following table:
	
		
			  Number of sites visited resulting in the issue of a prohibition notice 
			 2008-09 265 
			 2009-10 325 
			 2010-11 318 
			 2011-12 291 
			 2012-13 251 
			 2013-14 to end August(1) 201 
			 (1) In-year figures are provisional

Industrial Health and Safety: Construction

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many construction sites in London were visited by a Health and Safety Executive safety inspector in each year since 2008.

Michael Penning: This information is not available in the form requested.
	The number of visits carried out by inspectors in the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) Construction Division in London since 2010-11 is provided in the following table:
	
		
			  Number of visits 
			 2010-11(1) 2,824 
			 2011-12 1,728 
			 2012-13 1,530 
			 2013-14 to end August(2) 819 
			 (1) Prior to 2011-12, numbers of inspection visits were not required as part of HSE's performance measures and were not recorded. Estimated inspection visits are included this 2010-11 figure based upon data collected at that time but are not available for previous years. (2) In-year figures are provisional. 
		
	
	These figures reflect records of proactive inspections, reactive investigations and complaints followed up. This is not the same as the number of sites visited but provides the best available picture. Some sites may have been visited more than once within these figures. Figures focusing on the numbers of sites visited are not part of HSE's performance measures and are therefore not currently collated.

Jobseeker's Allowance: Wrexham

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many such people in Wrexham constituency receive jobseeker's allowance (JSA); how many people in Wrexham constituency have been sanctioned and had their JSA stopped in the last year for which figures are available; and how many job vacancies there were in Wrexham constituency in that year.

Esther McVey: Statistics on how many people in Wrexham constituency receive jobseeker's allowance (JSA) can be found at:
	https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/default.asp
	Guidance for users can be found at:
	https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/home/newuser.asp
	The last year for which JSA sanctions figures are available by parliamentary constituency is from 1 June 2011 to 31 May 2012. The information requested linking the JSA recipients to the available JSA sanctions data is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	However, from statistics we do have available, the number of people in Wrexham constituency who have been sanctioned in the last year for which figures are available is given in the following table:
	
		
			 Number of jobseeker's allowance (JSA) claimants with a sanction applied: 1 June 2011 to 31 May 2012 
			 Parliamentary constituency Total 
			 Wrexham 530 
		
	
	
		
			 Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Sanctions applied: The number of sanctions applied is the number of varied, fixed length and entitlement decision sanction referrals where the decision was found against the claimant. 3. Parliamentary constituency: Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant postcode directory. Boundaries are as at the reference date. More information and a map can be found at: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/geography/beginner-s-guide/maps/index.html 4. Data is up to and including the 31 of May 2012, which this is the latest data available by parliamentary constituency. 5. Varied length sanctions: A sanction of between one week and 26 weeks is imposed for leaving employment voluntarily without just cause, refusing employment without good cause, or losing employment through misconduct. The actual period in each case is at the discretion of the adjudication officer who makes the decision. 6. Fixed length sanctions: A sanction of between one week and 26 weeks is imposed for refusal, without good cause, to attend an employment programme or carry out a jobseeker's direction. Payment of benefit continues in full pending the adjudication officer's decision on a sanction question. 7. Entitlement decisions: These are questions on which entitlement to JSA depends. For example, if there is doubt around whether the jobseeker's agreement (JSAg) is suitable, whether they are actively looking for work or making themselves available for work. In most cases payment of JSA will be suspended by benefit processing until the doubt is resolved. Source: DWP Information, Governance and Security Directorate: JSA Sanctions and Disallowance Decisions Statistics Database. 
		
	
	Statistics on how many job vacancies there were in Wrexham constituency between June 2011 and May 2012 can be found at:
	https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/default.asp
	Guidance for users can be found at:
	https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/home/newuser.asp

Mental Illness

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to encourage employers to sign up to the Time to Change initiative to end mental health discrimination;
	(2)  what discussions he has had to encourage employers taking advantage of the Youth Contract to sign up to Time to Change to end mental health discrimination.

Michael Penning: The Government is currently developing a new Employment Strategy for disabled people and those with health conditions which will be published before the end of the year. The strategy will recognise the crucial role that employers have to play in enabling disabled people and people with health conditions to realise their employment aspirations. It will seek to improve the support available to all employers (including those taking advantage of the Youth Contract) to recruit, retain and enable people with disabilities and health conditions (including mental health conditions) to progress. Changing attitudes and removing stigmas is central to this. We have publicly signalled our commitment to the Time to Change (TTC) initiative and are currently progressing the associated action plan with relevant TTC representatives.
	At the Disability Employment Conference, on 18 July 2013, the then Minister for Disabled People launched the Disability Confident Campaign. The two year campaign takes forward initiatives to support businesses to become more disability confident at recruiting, retaining and enabling disabled people to progress as well as informing employers of what support is available. This campaign will include nine regional events held across the United Kingdom at which employers are invited to contribute and share good practice. The first event is in Birmingham on 21 November. The role of employers in promoting employment of disabled people and breaking down stigma and barriers is central to the Disability Confident Campaign.

Occupational Pensions

Jonathan Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to help small and medium-sized enterprises comply with their legal obligations under auto-enrolment; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Webb: The Pensions Regulator (TPR) compliance strategy for automatic enrolment is based on establishing a pro-compliance culture. In doing so they are focusing on educating and enabling employers of all sizes to ensure they are aware of automatic enrolment and understand what they have to do. Throughout the initial roll out of automatic enrolment TPR has been assessing the impact of their communications and updating their products to ensure they meet the needs of the changing audience, from the UK's largest employers with thousands of workers, through to those with a small work force.
	The regulator sends out a series of letters and emails to employers from 12 months prior to their staging date. As their staging date approaches each e-mail informs the employer what stage they should be at and also signposts the relevant guidance and tools provided by the regulator. The tools available on the regulator's website include, an interactive planning tool to assist employers in getting ready, a staging date tool to find out your staging date, and detailed guides. They have also established a customer support centre for employers to discuss any question they may have. An employer advertising campaign is underway to raise awareness and guide employers to the regulator's website to help them in their preparations.
	The regulator is also working with intermediaries such as software developers, payroll bureaux and trade body groups to make sure they are able to provide suitable tools, guidance or support if employers require it.

Poverty: Children

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many children were classed as living in poverty in each parliamentary constituency in the UK in each of the last five years; and what estimate he has made of the number of such children in each of the next three years.

Esther McVey: The information requested is not available.
	The Child Poverty Act 2010 sets four income-based UK-wide targets to be met by 2020. The targets are based on the proportion of children living in households with relative low income, combined low income and material deprivation, absolute low income and persistent poverty (all before housing costs have been taken into account).
	Estimates of these are published in the National Statistics Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series. HBAI uses household income adjusted (or ‘equivalised’) for household size and composition, to provide a proxy for standard of living. This information is captured using the Family Resources Survey.
	Information at constituency level is not available as the sample size of this survey is not sufficient to provide robust estimates. The lowest geography at which poverty estimates are reported is regional level.
	Three-year averages are used to report statistics by region, as single-year estimates are subject to volatility. The latest figures for relative and absolute low income at regional level covering the last five years (up until 2009-10 to 2011-12) can be found in the latest HBAI publication, available at the following link:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/households-below-average-income-hbai-199495-to-201112
	(ISBN 978-1-78153-531-8).
	Relevant figures can be found in Table 4.6db (on page 115) for the latest relative low income proportions, Table 4.17ts (on page 136) for relative low income for the last five years and Table 4.23ts (on page 142) for absolute low income for the last five years.
	The Government has not produced forecasts of the number of children living in income poverty for the next three years. The number of children in poverty is dependent on a number of factors which cannot be reliably predicted, including the median income.
	Income matters but considering this in isolation fails to properly reflect the reality of child poverty in the UK today. We want to develop better measures of child poverty which include income but provide a more accurate picture of the reality of child poverty. Our consultation on how best to measure child poverty closed on 15 February. A large volume of responses was received and all of these are being read and analysed to ensure that all important points are captured and used to help Ministers decide on the next steps.

Social Fund

Anne Begg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what rate of repayment was achieved for crisis loans and budgeting loans in the four years prior to changes to the Discretionary Social Fund in 2013.

Steve Webb: There is no time limit for Crisis Loans and Budgeting Loans to be repaid. Loans remain outstanding until the full amount has been paid back and they can, in some cases, take many years to be recovered fully. Tables 1 and 2 show the proportion of Crisis Loan and Budgeting Loan expenditure made in each financial year between 2009-10 and 2012-13 that has been recovered in the following years up to and including 2012-13. Please note that these figures do not represent total recoveries made by the Social Fund scheme in each year as there will have been additional repayments from loans made in earlier years.
	
		
			 Table 1: Crisis Loan expenditure between 2009-10 and 2012-13 and the proportion recovered in each year up to 2012-13 
			   Percentage recovered in each following year  
			 Year loan paid out Expenditure (£) 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 Total paid back by 2012-13 
			  
			 2009-10 228.8 13 19 18 12 63 
			 2010-11 228.3 — 11 20 18 49 
			 2011-12 133.3 — — 14 19 33 
			 2012-13 102.8 — — — 16 16 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Budgeting Loan expenditure between 2009-10 and 2012-13 and the proportion recovered in each year up to 2012-13. 
			   Percentage recovered in each following year  
			 Year loan paid out Expenditure (£) 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 Total paid back by 2012-13 
			 2009-10 482.3 33 36 14 5 88 
			 2010-11 445.9 — 33 39 13 86 
			 2011-12 447.5 — — 36 40 76 
			 2012-13 455.3 — — — 38 38 
			 Notes: 1. The information provided is Management Information. Our preference is to answer all parliamentary questions using Official/National Statistics but in this case we only have Management Information available. It is not quality assured to the same extent as Official/National statistics and there are some issues with the data; for example, these amounts do not include expenditure or recoveries from applications which were processed clerically and have not yet been entered on to the Social Fund Computer System. 2. Expenditure figures are rounded to the nearest £100,000 and percentages are rounded to the nearest whole percentage point. Source: DWP Policy, Budget and Management Information System

Social Rented Housing: Housing Benefit

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what arrangements are in place for parents with joint custody of children eligible to pay the under occupancy penalty.

Esther McVey: A child is taken into account in the housing benefit assessment when the claimant or partner has primary responsibility for them. This will be the person that the child normally resides with or where the child spends an equal time in different households, the person in receipt of child benefit.
	This reflects a general principle of domestic social security law that prevents double provision.

Social Security Benefits

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much in benefit payments went unclaimed in each region of the UK in 2012.

Michael Penning: Estimates of how much in benefit payments went unclaimed in each region of the UK in 2012 are unavailable.
	The most recent data are reported in the statistical publication ‘The Income Related Benefits: Estimates of Take-up’, which covers Great Britain for the financial year 2009-10. It provides caseload and expenditure estimates of take-up for income support and employment and support allowance (income-related), pension credit, housing benefit (including local housing allowance), council tax benefit and jobseeker's allowance (income-based). This report can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/income-related-benefits-estimates-of-take-up--2

Universal Credit: Wales

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate how many people in (a) Wrexham constituency and (b) each other constituency in Wales will be affected by the changes in universal credit payments on and after its introduction as each increase in the personal income tax allowance planned by the Government takes effect; and what the average change per month in universal credit payments would be for any such people in (i) Wrexham constituency and (ii) each other constituency in Wales.

Esther McVey: The information requested is not available.

Work Capability Assessment

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many work capability assessments made of people diagnosed with a mental health condition were refused since February 2010; and how many such decisions were subsequently overturned on appeal.

Michael Penning: The information requested, for new claims to employment and support allowance (ESA), is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 New claims—Outcomes of appeals heard on fit for work decisions in initial functional assessment for those in the condition group of mental and behavioural disorders, Great Britain: February 2010-May 2012 
			   Appeal heard 
			  Total case load with a fit for work decision in the condition group for mental and behavioural disorders DWP decision upheld Decision in favour of appellant 
			 Great Britain 240,800 55,800 36,400 
		
	
	
		
			 Notes: 1. Figures are for initial assessments only and numbers have been rounded to the nearest hundred. 2. Data on appeals includes ESA claims up to the end of May 2012 (the latest month where we have sufficient volumes of appeals heard to include in the publication) where the person claiming has been assessed to be fit for work, they subsequently appeal the Department's decision and the appeal has been heard by Tribunals Service. 3. Due to the time it takes for appeals to be submitted to the Tribunals Service and heard, it is likely that there are more appeals that have not yet been heard. Therefore these figures should be treated as emerging findings rather than final at this stage. 4. Condition groups are based on the International Classification of Diseases (2010). Source: Department for Work and Pensions benefit administration dataset. 
		
	
	The information requested for appeals heard on fit for work decisions in the functional assessment for repeat claims to ESA and incapacity benefit (IB) reassessments is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Work Capability Assessment

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many work capability assessments received (a) zero points on initial assessment and (b) between zero and six points but were passed on appeal since August 2011.

Michael Penning: The information requested, for initial assessment new claims to employment and support allowance (ESA), is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 New claims—Outcomes of appeals heard on fit for work decisions in initial functional assessment by points scored, Great Britain: August 2011-May 2012 
			   Appeals heard 
			  Total case load with a fit for work decision DWP decision upheld Decision in favour of appellant 
			 Zero points 148,700 26,600 11,900 
			 1 to 6 points 18,000 2,800 2,400 
			 Notes: 1. Figures are for initial assessments only and numbers have been rounded to the nearest hundred. 2. Data on appeals includes ESA claims up to the end of May 2012 (the latest month where we have sufficient volumes of appeals heard to include in the publication) where the person claiming has been assessed to be fit for work, they subsequently appeal the department's decision and the appeal has been heard by Tribunals Service. 3. Due to the time it takes for appeals to be submitted to the Tribunals Service and heard, it is likely that there are more appeals that have not yet been heard. Therefore these figures should be treated as emerging findings rather than final at this stage. Source: Department for Work and Pensions benefit administration dataset. 
		
	
	The information requested for appeals heard on fit for work decisions in the functional assessment for repeat claims to ESA and incapacity benefit (IB) reassessments is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Work Capability Assessment: Carmarthenshire

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of claimants of employment and support allowance in Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire constituency have been found capable of work as a result of a work capability assessment since February 2010; what proportion of such people who appealed against work capability assessments were successful; how many appeals against the outcomes of work capability assessments have been made from people in Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire constituency since August 2009; and how many such appeals were successful.

Michael Penning: The information requested by parliamentary constituency is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Work Capability Assessment: Wales

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Wales who failed a work capability assessment had the decision overturned on appeal since November 2010.

Michael Penning: The information requested, for new claims to employment and support allowance (ESA), is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 New claims—Outcomes of appeals heard on fit for work decisions in initial functional assessment, Wales: November 2010-May 2012 
			   Appeals heard 
			  Total case load with a fit for work decision DWP decision upheld Decision in favour of appellant 
			 Wales 23,300 5,800 3,500 
			 Notes: 1. Figures are for initial assessments only and numbers have been rounded to the nearest hundred. 2. Data on appeals includes ESA claims up to the end of May 2012 (the latest month where we have sufficient volumes of appeals heard to include in the publication) where the person claiming has been assessed to be fit for work, they subsequently appeal the Department's decision and the appeal has been heard by Tribunals Service. 3. Due to the time it takes for appeals to be submitted to the Tribunals Service and heard, it is likely that there are more appeals that have not yet been heard. Therefore these figures should be treated as emerging findings rather than final at this stage. Source: Department for Work and Pensions benefit administration dataset. 
		
	
	The information requested for appeals heard on fit for work decisions in the functional assessment for repeat claims to ESA and incapacity benefit (IB) Reassessments is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Work Programme

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many people in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK who have been referred to the Work Programme have found part-time employment that lasted (i) more than and (ii) less than six months;
	(2)  how many people in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK who have been referred to the Work Programme have found (i) full-time employment, (ii) full-time employment that lasted less than six months and (iii) full-time employment that lasted more than six months;
	(3)  how many people in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK who have been referred to the Work Programme have found part-time employment;
	(4)  how many people in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK have been referred to the Work Programme;
	(5)  how many people in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK who have been referred to the Work Programme have found any type of employment that lasted less than six months;
	(6)  how many people in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK who have been referred to the Work Programme have found any type of employment that lasted more than six months;
	(7)  how many people in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK who have been referred to the Work Programme have found employment to date.

Esther McVey: Information on job starts from the Work Programme is not available, as job outcome payments to providers are only made when participants have been in work and off benefit for a sustained period; in the majority of cases at least 26 weeks, but 13 weeks for those in certain categories. Work Programme participants must work sufficient hours to come off benefit for their employment to count as a job outcome, but beyond that information on part-time versus full-time employment is not available.
	The available information on job outcomes is shown in the following tables:
	
		
			 1: Work Programme job outcomes for payment groups 1, 2 and 9, where job outcomes are defined as in work and off benefit for at least 26 weeks, as at 30 June 2013 
			 Area Total 
			 Great Britain 117,470 
			 North East Region 7,130 
			 South Tyneside local authority 520 
			 Jarrow parliamentary constituency 240 
		
	
	
		
			 2: Work Programme Job outcomes for payment groups 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, where job outcomes are defined as in work and off benefit for at least 13 weeks, as at 30 June 2013 
			  Employment duration 
			 Area Total 13 weeks up to 25 weeks 25 weeks and over 
			 Great Britain 50,950 16,910 34,040 
			 North East Region 2,630 880 1,750 
			 South Tyneside local authority 200 70 130 
			 Jarrow parliamentary constituency 70 30 40 
		
	
	Statistics on how many people in Jarrow parliamentary constituency, South Tyneside, the North East and Great Britain have participated in the Work Programme since its inception can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions/series/dwp-statistics-tabulation-tool#benefit-caseloads

Work Programme

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department has funded to Work programme providers in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK.

Esther McVey: The total paid to Work programme providers in the UK is £736 million from the start of the programme through to 31 March 2013, the period covered by the 27 June 2013 Statistical Release. Due to commercial in confidence considerations we are not able to release financial data below the national level at this time.

HEALTH

Children

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will investigate ways to support children's early development, particularly the first 1,001 days from conception;
	(2)  if the Government will investigate ways to identify families that require additional support to ensure children are protected in the first 1,001 days from conception.

Daniel Poulter: The Healthy Child Programme—Pregnancy and the First Five Years of Life, sets out a universal service for children and. families, with the goal of promoting the health and well-being of children, as part of an integrated approach to supporting children and families. It includes development reviews, screening and immunisation, health promotion and support to parents. This universal programme led by health visitors allows the early identification risks and issues and provides early support and additional help for those who need it. The Government has commissioned a review of the evidence for the Healthy Child Programme to ensure that it remains evidence based.
	The new, four tier health visiting service model (ranging from universal action with communities and families through to more targeted support) will further help to identify families who require additional help.
	We are increasing the number of health visitors, trained nurses or midwives with specialist training in family and community health, by 4,200, who will provide women with professional support during pregnancy and after birth. Also, the Family Nurse Partnership (FNP) programme, which gives support to young, at risk, first time mums, will expand to 16,000 places by 2015.

Continuing Care

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what progress his Department has made on proposals to offer enhanced services to help patients with long-term conditions monitor their health;
	(2)  what steps his Department plans to take to encourage greater use of and support for self-monitoring by clinical commissioning groups.

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what guidance he gives to clinical commissioning groups on consistency in the long-term use of warfarin;
	(2)  if he will take steps to make national collection of data of (a) how many warfarin patients are offered self-monitoring technology and (b) the financial incentives given to GPs in issuing anticoagulation tests.

Jane Ellison: Responsibility for determining the overall national approach to improving clinical outcomes from health care services lies with NHS England. Support for people with long-term conditions is covered in the NHS Outcomes Framework and in the mandate to NHS England. Through the mandate we are monitoring how well the national health service is performing in supporting people to look after themselves.
	It is for individual clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to commission treatment and services for patients on long-term warfarin or other medications which require monitoring, as they are best placed to identify what is needed in their local areas. It is the responsibility of NHS England to support CCGs and ensure that they are safely and effectively discharging their commissioning responsibilities, and are making progress in delivering outcomes. This support may include providing supportive commissioning resources, tools or guidance.
	Under its Diagnostics Assessment Programme, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is developing guidance on self-monitoring coagulometers for self-testing or self-managing coagulation status in patients with atrial fibrillation or heart valve disease for whom long-term vitamin K antagonist therapy is intended. NICE expects to issue guidance in July 2014. NHS England advises that it will then consider what action, if any, is required, taking this guidance into account.
	NHS England advises that information on the number of patients who are on warfarin long-term and use self-monitoring technology is not collected as it is difficult for accurate and meaningful information to be gathered and reported. This is due to the way in which self-monitoring technology is available to patients via CCGs or purchased privately. The Department has no plans to collect these data.

Hospitals: Liverpool

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of reports published by the Care Quality Commission into Alder Hey Children's Hospital in April 2013 and University Hospital Aintree in January 2013.

Norman Lamb: No assessment has been made.
	The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care providers in England. The CQC is responsible for assessing whether providers are meeting the registration requirements. It has a wide range of enforcement powers available where the provider is not compliant.
	All providers of regulated activities have to register with the CQC and meet its safety and quality requirements.

Infant Mortality

Aidan Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to raise awareness of stillbirth and neonatal death; what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of stillbirths; and what investment his Department plans in research on prevention of stillbirths and neonatal deaths.

Daniel Poulter: The Government has made reducing perinatal mortality, including stillbirth, an improvement area under domain one of the NHS Outcomes Framework. Information on stillbirth, including the known causes and advice on prevention, is available on the NHS Choices website at:
	www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Stillbirth/Pages/Definition.aspx
	The Department is currently working in partnership with Sands (the Stillbirth and Neonatal Death charity) and a range of key organisations, including NHS England, Public Health England, the Royal College of Midwives and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, to take forward a stillbirth prevention work programme. Part of this programme involves identifying and agreeing the key messages that can be used to raise awareness among both pregnant women and health professionals of the risk factors for stillbirth and the actions that can be taken to minimise these risks.
	The Department's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) funds a range of research relating to causes, risk factors and prevention of stillbirth and neonatal death. Both the NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre and the NIHR Imperial Biomedical Research Centre have on-going programmes of research on women's health, including research relevant to the prevention of stillbirth and neonatal death.
	In addition, the NIHR Health Technology Assessment is funding a £6.0 million trial of an intelligent system to support decision making in the management of labour using the cardiotocogram, a £1.4 million trial of nicotine replacement therapy in pregnancy led by the university of Nottingham, and a £1.2 million trial of physical activity as an aid to smoking cessation during pregnancy led by St George's, university of London.

Midwives

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to encourage people to pursue a career in midwifery.

Daniel Poulter: There are a record number in excess of 5,000 midwives currently in training and 75 more new training places this year than in 2010.
	As part of its mandate commitments, Health Education England (HEE) is responsible for ensuring that national health service staff are available in the right numbers with the right skills, values and competencies to deliver both excellent clinical outcomes together with patient-centred care.
	NHS Careers, part of HEE, actively promotes all healthcare careers, including midwifery. Careers information, advice and guidance about a career in midwifery are available through its website, literature and helpline. This includes information about the education and training needed to become a midwife, entry routes and training opportunities, cadet schemes and apprenticeships.
	There has been a reduction in the midwife-to-birth ratio from 2008 to 2012.

Midwives

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average age of (a) a midwife and (b) a midwifery student is in (i) Suffolk, (ii) East Anglia and (iii) the UK.

Daniel Poulter: We do not collect data in the format requested.
	Latest midwifery data, 2012, show that the average age of midwives within the England and the East of England Strategic Health Authority (SHA) remain stable at around 43 years as shown in the following table.
	Data about midwifery students are collected by the Higher Education Statistics Agency and requests will attract a fee. The HESA website is available at:
	www.hesa.ac.uk
	
		
			 NHS hospital and community health services: Registered midwives in England, the East of England Strategic Health Authority area and each specified organisation by average age as at 30 September 
			  2010 2011 2012 
			 England 43 43 43 
			 East of England SHA 43 43 43 
			     
			 Total specified organisations 45 44 44 
			 Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust 45 44 44 
			 West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust 44 43 43 
			 Notes: 1. Average ages are rounded to the nearest whole number. 2. Of the organisations that cover the Suffolk and East Anglia area (Suffolk Coastal Primary Care Trust (PCT), Suffolk PCT, North West Anglia Healthcare NHS Trust, Mid Anglia Community Health NHS Trust, Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust and West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust), only Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust and West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust employ registered midwives. Source: Health and Social Care Information Centre Non-Medical Workforce Census

Midwives

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the average age of (a) a midwife and (b) a midwifery student in (i) Suffolk, (ii) East Anglia and (iii) the UK has increased over the last 10 years.

Daniel Poulter: There are a record number in excess of 5,000 midwives currently in training and 75 more new training places this year than in 2010, however we do not collect these data in the format requested. Midwifery data for the past decade show that the average age of qualified midwives in England and East of England Strategic Health Authority (SHA) has increased by one year over the last 10 years.
	Data about midwifery students are collected by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and requests will attract a fee. The website is available at:
	www.hesa.ac.uk
	
		
			 NHS hospital and community health services: Registered midwives in England, the East of England SHA area and each specified organisation by average age as at 30 September 
			  2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 England 42 42 42 42 43 43 43 43 43 43 
			 East of England SHA 42 43 42 43 43 43 43 43 43 43 
		
	
	
		
			 Total specified organisations 44 44 44 45 44 45 44 45 44 44 
			 Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust 44 44 44 45 45 45 44 45 45 44 
			 West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 43 43 
			 Notes: 1. Average ages are rounded to the nearest whole number. 2. Of the organisations that cover the Suffolk and East Anglia area (Suffolk Coastal Primary Care Trust (PCT), Suffolk PCT, North West Anglia Healthcare NHS Trust, Mid Anglia Community Health NHS Trust, Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust and West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust), only Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust and West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust employ registered midwives. Source: Health and Social Care Information Centre Non-Medical Workforce Census

Midwives

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many qualified midwives leave the profession before retirement age in (a) Suffolk, (b) East Anglia and (c) the UK;
	(2)  whether the number of qualified midwives who leave the profession before retirement age in (a) Suffolk, (b) East Anglia and (c) the UK has increased over the last 10 years.

Daniel Poulter: We do not collect this data at a local level.
	Midwives may chose to leave the profession for a number of reasons, for example to return to nursing, undertake additional training or for personal reasons.
	There are currently 21,443 full-time equivalent qualified midwives, with an overall increase of 1,311 since May 2010. There are also over 5,000 midwifery students in training.

Midwives

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve midwife retention rates.

Daniel Poulter: It is the responsibility of individual employers to have policies in place to develop and support the midwifery work force.
	Health Education England (HEE) is responsible for ensuring sufficient midwives and other maternity staff are trained to provide necessary care and support for expectant women and new mothers. Local Education Training Boards (LETBs) work with HEE to provide local delivery and leadership. LETBs are the forum for providers and professionals to work collectively to improve the quality of education and training in their local area and to meet needs of service providers, patients and the public.
	Universities will be using the ‘values based recruitment’ model, to ensure the right choices are made early, ie that students are right for midwifery and midwifery is right for them. By ensuring the intake of student midwives comprises people best suited to this type of career choice, it is more likely they will complete training and stay longer in post, thus increasing retention rates.
	‘Compassion in Practice’, the three year vision and strategy for nursing and midwives, (launched December 2012 by NHS England), requires organisations to publish their staffing levels and use an evidence based tool to calculate them. ‘Birth Rate Plus’ is an example of a tool that organisations could use for this purpose.
	‘Compassion in Practice’ is available from NHS England's website:
	www.england.nhs.uk/nursingvision/

Neurology

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many (a) elective and (b) emergency admissions took place in each (i) primary care trust and (ii) clinical commissioning group area for patients with (A) primary and (B) secondary diagnosis of a neurological condition, as defined under Diseases of the nervous system in the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th Revision, in each of the last five years for which data is available;
	(2)  how many emergency re-admissions within 28 days took place for patients in each (a) primary care trust and (b) clinical commissioning group area with a (i) primary and (ii) secondary diagnosis of a neurological condition, as defined under Diseases of the nervous system in the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th Revision, in each of the last five years for which data is available.

Norman Lamb: A count of finished admission episodes for a primary and secondary diagnosis of a neurological condition, ICD10 codes G00-G99 by primary care trust of treatment for the years 2007-08 to 2011-12 has been placed in the Library. It is not possible to provide this information by clinical commissioning group area.
	Information on readmissions within 28 days for patients in each primary care trust and clinical commissioning group area with a primary and secondary diagnosis of a neurological condition is not collected by the Health and Social Care Information Centre.

Organs: Donors

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government is taking to address the disparity between supply and demand for organ donations in England.

Jane Ellison: In July 2013 NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) published the United Kingdom strategy “Taking Organ Transplantation to 2020” to further increase donation and transplantation rates. NHSBT worked closely to develop this strategy with stakeholders in the transplant community and the wider public.
	The new strategy builds on work undertaken to increase deceased donation rates by 50% between 2008 and 2013. It aims to provide the UK organ donation and transplantation community with what it needs. to match the best deceased organ donation and transplantation rates in the world over the next seven years. To achieve this, both the evolution of national health service services, and a revolution in public attitudes to consent, is required.

Organs: Donors

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government is taking to use advertising campaigns and education in schools to promote organ donation.

Jane Ellison: In partnership with the Cabinet Office and the Department of Health, NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) has been developing an approach to prompt people to sign up to the NHS Organ Donor Register (ODR) via Government owned channels such as applying for a driving licence and paying car tax online. The trials are promising and results should be available in the new year.
	NHSBT also co-ordinates a number of national initiatives such as National Transplant Week—using media publicity, social media, and community engagement programmes—to raise awareness of organ donation and encourage people to join the ODR and tell their family and friends of their donation wishes. NHSBT will be reviewing its social marketing strategy in the coming months as part of addressing the challenge in tackling family refusal rates for organ donation.
	NHSBT has existing programmes in place to support education about organ donation and transplantation for school age children. They have developed a national education programme called 'Give and Let Live', which is aimed at promoting awareness of bone marrow, blood, tissue, cord blood and organ donation among 14 to 16-year-old pupils.
	Within the United Kingdom strategy “Taking Organ Transplantation to 2020” published in July 2013, the possibility of incorporating donation and transplantation into schools' curricula will be explored.

Passive Smoking

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 21 October 2013, Official Report, columns 71-72W, on passive smoking: children, if he will publish the findings from the independent evaluation of the 2013 marketing campaign on smokefree homes and family cars.

Jane Ellison: Public Health England publishes details and top-line evaluation results from all campaigns on the Smokefree Resource Centre at:
	www.smokefree.nhs.uk/resources
	The evaluation results from the recent Smokefree Homes and Cars campaign will be published in December.

Sepsis

Andrew Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps his Department has taken to ensure that all emergency departments successfully implement a sepsis pathway;
	(2)  if he will urge emergency departments to treat a patient with sepsis as an urgent priority, ensuring relevant treatment within one hour of arrival;
	(3)  if he will take steps to ensure that all emergency departments provide blood gas machines that can measure lactate for the early recognition of sepsis.

Daniel Poulter: The Department is already taking steps to prevent all avoidable deaths, including those from sepsis. This includes setting objectives in the NHS Mandate requiring the NHS to provide a high quality of patient care and ensuring that the NHS Outcomes Framework for 2013-14 includes patient safety outcomes and corresponding indicators.
	We understand that NHS England is also collaborating with Dr Ron Daniels, who was instrumental in developing the "Sepsis Six" protocols for treating sepsis, to embed awareness of these protocols in NHS practice. The protocols include essential treatment measures, such as the delivery of high-flow oxygen, the measurement of serum lactate, and the need for delivering these health care measures within one hour of the initial diagnosis of sepsis.
	The recognition and management of sepsis is also part of a clinical audit of emergency departments by the College of Emergency Medicine, which will be concluded by 31 January 2014. This audit is listed in the Department's Quality Accounts for 2013-14, which requires providers in England to report on their participation in national clinical audits.

Suicide

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to reduce incidence of suicide in (a) Peterborough and (b) England; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Lamb: Much of the planning and work to prevent suicides will be carried out locally. It will be for local agencies working through health and well-being boards to decide the best way to achieve the overall aim of reducing the suicide rate.
	‘Preventing suicide in England: A cross-government outcomes strategy to save lives’ was published on 10 September 2012 to coincide with the International Association for Suicide Prevention's World Suicide Prevention Day. We will shortly be publishing the first annual report on the strategy. The strategy outlines a number of effective interventions that local agencies could choose to adopt.
	Alongside the strategy, the Government initiated a Call to Action for suicide prevention, facilitated by Samaritans, to engage the support of over 50 national organisations with a role to play in preventing suicide. We are now further supporting that group to develop into a National Suicide Prevention Alliance.
	In addition to work funded through the National Institute for Health Research we also allocated £1.5 million of funding over three years through the Policy Research Programme for research to support the suicide prevention strategy. The funded projects will be announced shortly.
	We are developing a Public Health Outcomes Framework indicator on self-harm to increase the focus on the issue. The Government's commitment in the spending review 2013 to ensure that every accident and emergency department will have constant access to mental health professionals will ensure that people with mental health problems get the best possible care.
	Additionally, the Care Quality Commission is carrying out a review of emergency mental health care, following recent concerns about access to appropriate treatment for people with mental health problems.
	Finally, new measures announced by the Prime Minister will ensure that all internet customers will be given the opportunity to install free and easy to use filters which can block access to harmful websites such as those promoting suicide and self-harm. Through discussions with the internet service providers we are aware that they are all currently working on the specific categories that parents and consumers will be able to block, including suicide sites.

Tobacco: Packaging

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent progress his Department has made on introducing standardised packaging for cigarettes; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison: The Government has decided to wait before making a decision on standardised packaging. This policy remains under active consideration.

Weather: Death

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of excess winter deaths in England and Wales in winter 2013-14.

Jane Ellison: The causes of excess winter deaths are complex and interlinked not just to the weather but also to the wider determinants of health. This makes excess winter deaths difficult to predict in advance.
	The Office for National Statistics compares observed winter deaths with non-winter deaths retrospectively and we are awaiting their estimate for last winter (2012-13) which is due for publication next month.
	However, Public Health England has published the Cold Weather Plan for England to avoid preventable deaths in winter by setting out a series of actions for organisations, communities and individuals, to take throughout the year.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Royal Family

Andrew George: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent discussions he has had with members of the Royal Family on their role in the legislative process.

Greg Clark: None